Crushed
by Wolfy Tales
Summary: Kakashi was indifferent when his team was assigned to Naruto-sensei and not the pink-haired medic Rin worshiped. Then Haruno-sensei created an earthquake with her fist and Kakashi metaphorically fell hard. - Generation Switch AU [Eventual KakaSaku]
1. Of Senseis and Sensibilities

Summary: Kakashi was indifferent when his team was assigned to Naruto-sensei and not the pink-haired medic Rin worshiped. Then Haruno-sensei created an earthquake with her fist and Kakashi metaphorically fell hard. - Generation Switch AU [Eventual KakaSaku]

A note: I dedicate this story to the KakaSaku tumblr anon (__ksanon . tumblr . com_) _where there are mythical, amazing artists. It's where I got totally hooked to this AU idea and just hard to give it a shot.

Disclaimer: I do no own Naruto.

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><p><span>Chapter One: Of Senseis and Sensibilities<span>

_._

"Now remember: be nice to whoever you get. Courteous at least."

"Yes, Father."

"Don't show off too much, or at least wait a few weeks in. Not everyone is an awesome Hatake like you and me."

"I got it."

"Not to mention-"

"_Father_."

Sakumo looked up from fiddling with Kakashi's collar and into eyes the same dark shade of gray as his. The veteran watched as his only son slowly raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not one of those other snot-nosed brats here," Kakashi said as he maintained eye contact, his hands firmly planted on his hips.

"Yes, well..." Sakumo trailed off as he adjusted the collar one last time, fingers brushing lightly on Kakashi's masked cheek as he stood up to his full height. Sometimes the older Hatake wondered if Kakashi would surpass him in height. His mother had not been especially tall, but Kakashi was enough of his clone already.

"Stop fretting," Kakashi spoke again, breaking his father out of a slight lapse of concentration. The hands at Kakashi's hips had turned into little fists.

"Of course. _Heaven forbid_ my son does anything less than perfect," Sakumo sighed as he ruffled Kakashi's hair.

Sakumo saw the bridge of the boy's nose wrinkle in a mixture of chagrin and confusion before Kakashi raised a small hand in a silent goodbye. Even though the boy did not have to be inside for another good ten minutes, Kakashi had always been a stickler.

Sakumo smiled freely to his son before the child turned and walked into the building.

Ah, youth.

.

Kakashi sighed as he slouched in his seat. Rin fidgeted to the right of him while Obito was on his left, absently tugging on a bandage Rin had wrapped on his hand two days ago. Kakashi was almost appalled that he hadn't changed the bandage yet, but this _was_ Obito.

"Who do you think you're going to get," Kakashi heard Kurenai whisper to Asuma. Not waiting for his answer, she added: "I hope I get Haruno-san. She knows _all_ the advanced genjutsus."

Kakashi saw Rin stiffen aside of him; he knew she wanted the same thing, except for the kunoichi's medic-nin ability. While they knew their team assignments (not that it wasn't obvious enough with this group), their new teachers had been withheld for whatever reason. Probably from a backlog of paperwork, as that seemed to be the number one enemy of the village according to the blond-haired Hokage.

"I hope we get Inuzuka-sensei!" Obito said even though he was not technically invited in to be a part of their conversation.

Kakashi heard the distinct whine-sigh from Hana a few rows behind them. Her three ninken that were settled in her lap offered a few sniffle-yaps to their distressed partner. Sometimes Kakashi was truly fortunate to be an only child. While Hana's brother Kiba was a skilled veterinarian, he was overall a wild-card. His massive ninken bigger than a horse did nothing to help diminish his large sense of pride.

"It's no use hoping, they're all assigned already. We'll just have to see who we get," Ibiki snapped out for everyone to hear. Next to him, Gekkō coughed lightly.

"You're just angry that Yamanaka-san decided to stay in the interrogation division and not become a teacher," Kakashi said offhandedly. Ibiki spun on him, his brow furrowed and cheeks dusted with a distinct red tinge. It clashed horribly with his grey hair.

Just then, when Kakashi was wondering if he should prepare for a scuffle, the door slid open and Hinata Hyūga stepped through. She jumped slightly as all eyes focused on her intently. While accustomed to her as their teacher in the academy, they were intent for an entirely different reason today.

Kakashi's eye twitched as he heard some shuffling from outside the door; clearly the teachers were here. 'About time,' he thought petulantly, only to realize they were a minute early.

"I'm sure you're all very excited to meet your new teacher," Hinata said after a deep breath to calm herself. "We apologize for the delay. We just wanted to be absolutely certain the assignments were in the best interest for everyone involved. Now, if everyone would please come in."

A line of shinobi entered, and Kakashi could feel the air in the room instantly change. Even though he was a genius, he did not need to be one to know it was rare for so many skilled shinobi in a single room. His eyes scanned the faces of men and women (Inuzuka-sensei's dog could not fit through door frames anymore, so he appeared at the window, tongue lolling). Some smiled jubilantly, others remained stoic, and an Aburame did not show his face at all.

Slowly, teachers became paired with groups who stood and left. Kakashi noticed the inquisitive frown on Asuma's face when his team went to lazy-looking man from the Nara clan; the slight perk in Hana's step when she became assigned with the hooded Aburame (Shino was his first name if Kakashi remembered correctly).

Originally, there had been eight teachers up at the front, and now only stood four. One of them was the pink-haired Sakura Haruno. Kakashi noticed Rin gripped the table a little too tightly, fingernails becoming embedded in the worn desk surface. Guy practically erupted out of his chair in celebration after being assigned to Lee, and suddenly there were the Terrible Three before them.

Again, Kakashi did not have to be especially sharp to know that before them stood a team that had arguably overdone even the Sannin, one of which who had sat at the Hokage seat last. The other was off exploring the world, and the third off doing creepy things no doubt.

"Anko, Kabuto, Kurenai- you'll be going with Sasuke-sensei," Hinata read softly.

Kakashi caught the surprised jolt that went through the three before they were standing and heading out after the against-regulation-kimono-wearing Uchiha. Kakashi saw miss Kurenai's slump, and the forlorn look the white-haired genin gave to Sakura. She, in turn, gave him a slight smile and wave that had Kabuto straightening his glasses and leaving with a smile.

It seemed like this Sakura person was a popular choice, despite how this would be her first year teaching. Not that the others had much experience, as nearly all of them taught a handful of teams before this. Apparently all the advanced, older shinobi were too busy with half-assed missions or getting lazy in this relaxing peacetime that had no end in sight.

Rin was barely breathing breathing now, but it seemed that Obito had his eyes now firmly fixed on the whiskered-face of Naruto. Kakashi was sure that if Obito had been aware Naruto was in contending as a teacher, he would have argued for him straight away. Sitting between the two, Kakashi felt like this had turned into a battle of wills.

But Kakashi was going to wither and die if he had to deal with _two_ blockheads on his team.

"Ibiki, Gekkō, and Tokara, you'll be with Sakura-sensei."

Kakashi's forehead hit the wooden desk hard, his forehead protector offering no help; Rin frowned and slumped in on herself; Obito jumped on the table and screamed to the heavens as if he'd just won the lottery.

.

"So- how'd it go my straw-boy?"

Kakashi nearly leapt out of his skin when he came home that day and turned to see his father literally _spring_ _out_ from the kitchen. Dark eyes absently watched as miso soup dribbled to the tiled floor from the laddle his father held tightly.

"I got the blond bozo."

"Don't call the Hokage's son that," Sakumo laughed, before sobering almost immediately. "Although, this is quite exciting for Obito."

"Rin wouldn't stop sighing the entire day. She wanted to get that pink haired medic," Kakashi said as he went into the kitchen, Sakumo following behind him to get back to the stove and dinner.

"Sakura-chan?"

Kakashi frowned and turned from getting a glass of water to lift an expectant eyebrow.

"Oh come on, you know about my association with Sakura-chan," Sakumo supplied as he turned back to cutting up tofu.

"No, I don't. Or else I wouldn't have just lifted an eyebrow in silent question that you've now forced me to voice."

"I could have sworn I talked about nothing but her for a little while," Sakumo said absently, "But I guess you _were_ just a wee babe at the time. Which was why I was so happy, because your mother had just passed and to leave you all alone-"

"_Father_."

"Right, so, there was this horrid mission. Back in the days of the war, when it was getting pretty dire in a lack of men and morale," his Father started as he expertly sliced up tofu without looking at it.

Kakashi moved to hop up on the counter, absently drinking the water through his mask before he remembered he was at home and pulling it down.

"I had all these green horns, barely passed chūnin, _maybe_ pushing fourteen, for a high level infiltration job. Long story short, they nearly all died. Well, actually one of them _did_. Sakura was the medic assigned to the mission, no older than fifteen herself. If it had been anyone other than her it would have been a complete failure. She actually told me to electrocute the dead one with my chakra to help bring him back. Intuitive, that one."

Kakashi watched as his father's usually content face became somewhat downtrodden.

"You know, Kakashi, that mission could have gone very differently. I disobeyed a lot of rules and regulations to get those guys out. If Sakura hadn't been there to back me up and save them, they really would have died and I would have been under a lot of speculation. Both from the town and myself."

Kakashi hopped off the counter and put his hand on his father's arm, startling the man out of whatever dark path his mind had wondered down.

"They talk about you enough as it is," Kakashi said blankly, yet his father thought it was the funniest thing ever if his deep laughs were anything to go by.

"Ah yes, Sakura-chan is a great person indeed. Although that was actually the second time I met her, but that's another story for another day. That young Namikaze is fantastic and obviously the next Hokage despite how adamant Obito is about the position. But I can't help but wish you got Sakura-chan," Sakumo said as he patted his son's hand that hadn't moved from his arm.

Kakashi gripped the edge of his father's sleeve, the red triangles harsh against the white, before letting go and getting out the dishes to set the table for two.

.

Never meet your heroes.

Kakashi had heard the phrase before, but never truly empathized with the sentiment of it until now. Although, he was sure Obito was feeling it quite more than him at the moment. Kakashi respected the blond in all his written exploits, but Kakashi did not worship him as a person like the young Uchiha.

"Obito-chan, I think you're going to fall soon."

"I am not- _ARGH_!"

Kakashi winced as he heard the thump, but kept his forehead protector over his eyes.

"Hey! You _pushed_ me!"

"A shinobi must be prepared for anything and everything," the blond sang as Obito mumbled some curses from below.

Kakashi sighed and tried to take a deep breath; it was a hot and sticky today and one of the rare moments where he wished he did not have his mask on. Being suspended ten feet from the ground on a wooden pole barely three inches wide, blindfolded, and balancing on his index finger did not help matters much. It was starting to ache a little; he would have to switch to another one soon again.

"Ah- _Sakura-chan_!" he heard Naruto call out in excitement, and Kakashi could not help but pull down his headband and peak out this time.

He watched as Naruto leaped over the field to get to the adjoining one, intent obviously on the pink-haired kunoichi and not the three boys tagging behind her. Of course he would ditch his team to try and flirt. And she would probably be all to willing considering they'd been friends for ages, gone through a war together-

Kakashi winced a second time as Naruto was kicked in the gut and sent sprawling back, arms pinwheeling before his figure disappeared entirely in the long grass.

"Gosh, Haruno-sensei is _so_ amazing," Rin sighed in admiration as she balanced on her right foot. There was a light blush on her grinning, dimpled face and Kakashi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Sometimes he thought Obito had bad hero-worship, and then Rin's eyes would glaze over and Kakashi knew Obito had nothing on obsession.

"Oi! Rin- Kakashi- I see that your eyes are open! Since it seems that you don't need to hone your senses, how about your strength? Let's see who can get to the top of the Hokage monument first without using chakra!"

Kakashi could already feel his hands stiffening up. Maybe it had been a bad decision to choose his fingers to balance on.

"_Or_ your feet."

And the blisters.

.

Training continued on for the next few months. During the week Kakashi would get dragged to training either with Naruto or his father, go on lame missions and continuously save Obito from putting his foot in his mouth around Rin. Obito's fumbling would be adorable if they were not already twelve and Rin had started worrying something was wrong.

Everything had been going according to routine and it had been fine. Key word: _had_.

Kakashi's crossed arms tightened over his chest. Obito and Naruto's lateness was chronic, but this was different. Usually Naruto was late by a quarter of an hour, Obito stumbling in a some minutes later. But Obito was here already and Naruto had yet to show up; Kakashi must have sat here waiting for at least half an hour already.

"Do you think we should go tell someone?" Rin asked hesitantly as she sat on the bridge, looking down at the water traveling along below her sandals. "I hope nothing bad happened to him."

"He's part of the Terrible Three. If anything happened, it was due to his own idiocy," Kakashi said aloofly, although with a little more ice than intended. He really needed to work on perfecting a cool edge without being over-the-top arctic.

"Don't let Naruto hear you talk about him like that. He'll probably cry knowing that his team doesn't respect him."

Three heads of varying color turned in a snap to see a familiar pink-haired woman walking towards them, a light smile on her face as the front of her apron moved in time with her steps. Kakashi instinctually grabbed hold around Rin's shin when she nearly toppled off the bridge from her jump of mixed excitement and disbelief.

"Naruto is out on a, ur_,_ _confidential_ mission at the moment," she said as she pulled on an ear, an obvious tell if any that there was more to this story. "Anyways, he finally remembered and sent me a toad to get to you guys."

When three pairs of eyes just blinked and continued watching Sakura, she shifted her weight from her one hip to the other and sighed.

"So... it's really up to you guys if you want to do some personal training, or I could help you with things, like a request since I'm not all that bad at taijutsu and genjutsu especially-"

"Oh, please teach us!" Rin said as she jumped off the bridge and clapped her hands, eyes gleaming.

"Yeah, Naruto-sensei doesn't teach us anything but how to get bruises," Obito grumbled as he moved his legs to stop dangling over the bridge and stand up.

"Well, how about I show you some exciting stuff for a change? I feel that my team is bored of all my showing off already," Sakura said with a shrug before she was walking off again, Rin quickly trailing her.

They walked in silence for a bit, Kakashi and Obito trailing behind. The boys shared slight grins at how nervous and just plain clumsy Rin was being. First, in how she kept trying to be sneaky about her obvious staring, and secondly about how she kept missing her steps because of it.

"I heard that you're interested in the medic-nin branch," Sakura commented lightly, eyes skirting to Rin's outfit that didn't vary much from hers.

"I-It's my passion," Rin admitted honestly.

"I'm surprised I got neither you or Kabuto, but that's how things go. I was actually thinking about doing some independent lessons for anyone interested. While they drill everyone on teams about the three main jutsu types, medical information is sorely lacking."

"That- that would be amazing!"

Their sub-sensei glanced down at Rin and Kakashi could see a slight grin before her gaze focused ahead again.

"I'm really happy to hear that. We lost a lot in the war and it's been hard to find more volunteers. But it seems that you and Kabuto are showing exceptional promise."

Kakashi wanted to roll his eyes as Rin mouthed the last two words as if it was her new motivational oath.

"Tsunade really cannot wait to get the hospital back in order. She was so mad at me for deciding to be a teacher and leave the place in Shizune's hands. Not that she's terrible at all or anything. And it's not like Tsunade had any place to talk about responsibility after so eagerly handing off the Hokage position-"

"We're here," Kakashi interrupted.

"Ah!" Sakura turned to the two boys who blinked back up at her. "I guess you would want to use your regular training ground instead of mine. Of course."

So not only did she seem to incessantly chatter, but she was mindlessly carefree about everything. If not for his father's favor for her, Kakashi would have dismissed her altogether already. That, and all the sensational exploits of the Terrible Three's war hero antics. Then again, that did nothing to save Kakashi's opinion on Naruto.

Rin frowned lightly at Kakashi before turning back to Sakura and asking: "When are you thinking or starting the lessons? Do I need any prerequisites?"

Sakura chuckled lightly before leaning down to put a hand on her head, patting her dark-head affectionately. A bright blush bloomed over Rin's face, and Kakashi could feel Obito tense next to him. The boy relaxed as she released her grip; Kakashi wanted to scoff at how immature Obito's infatuation was.

"Well, how about we work on chakra control since that's something I know about," Sakura said offhandedly as she lifted one shoulder lightly in a shrug.

Kakashi glanced at the rhombus on her forehead, and then the two smaller ones that were on either side of it (because apparently one was not enough) and resisted the urge to snort. 'Know about' was an understatement. She knew about it inside and out, inverted or corrupted. She had written a _textbook_ about it for Hokage's sake. It had been a very dry read in Kakashi's opinion.

"Now, maybe you've heard about what I can do (Kakashi coudn't hold back the snort this time) but if you don't- Rin, would you mind stepping back a little? Thanks. Well, actions speak better than words at first impressions right?"

.

"Welcome back, Kakashi! How was training?"

When Sakumo was only answered with silence, he frowned lightly. He was sure the door had opened and Kakashi's footsteps had padded in.

"Straw-son?" he asked lightly as he came out from the porch, water can dripping slightly.

He saw his son sitting at the breakfast bar, hair dusty and eyes blank.

"Kakashi?" Sakumo asked again, this time with a hint of worry.

It seemed the tone finally snapped Kakashi out from wherever place his head had trodden off to. He jumped off the stool, arms out as if suddenly on the defense from a pack of rabid enemies. When Kakashi saw it was only his father in front of him, he relaxed and slumped.

Raising an eyebrow at the odd (but nonetheless adorable) behavior of his usually stoic-as-a-stone son, Sakumo walked up and put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder.

"Did something happen?"

"No, not really," Kakashi said as his eyes remained glued to his sandals. Sakumo could see the dull red of a blush at the edge of his mask.

_Very_ odd indeed.

"Well, how about you finish watering and I'll start dinner?"

Kakashi gave a nod, took the watering can, and wandered out to the porch. Sakumo watched as Kakashi unstrapped his sandals before picking up the can again and began watering. He only made it past two plants before he was drowning the third in a continuous stream, eyes glazed over. Sakumo huffed in confusion before turning back to making dinner.

After taking three times the usual amount of time to water the wide assortment of plants on their porch, and then out to their backyard to their modest sized backyard that was almost entirely converted into a garden, Kakashi wandered into the kitchen still in a daze.

Deciding his son needed it, Sakumo prepared his son's favorite dishes. Sakumo himself had wanted tempura for a while, but seeing how uncharacteristically spacey Kakashi was, he did not want his son to eat too much and get a stomachache again.

After they had sat down and the silence still continued, Sakumo sighed and put down his chopsticks. Kakashi had yet to pick his up. He had pulled his mask down, but that was as far as he'd gotten in eating his dinner. The helplessness was even more stark on his fully visible face.

"Kakashi, you're going to have to tell me sometime."

"I think I'm in love."

Well, _that_ was unexpected. The aged veteran was glad that he had decided to stop eating momentarily. And Sakumo was also glad that he was taking Kakashi seriously, because when his son looked up he looked entirely lost. It wouldn't do good to laugh; Kakashi was a sensitive enough child.

"Oh, my little guard," Sakumo sighed before he pushed back from the table and patted his lap. Kakashi eagerly hopped off his seat and scrambled into his father's lap. He let his legs hand over a side while he rested his forehead on his Dad's collarbone. Little hands grasped lightly at the kimono's soft fabric.

While most shinobi boys at twelve would balk at the idea of such coddling, Kakashi reveled in the ability to have affection like this from his father still. He was always happy when he could physically feel the pulse of his father's heart against his cheek. Kakashi closed his eyes as he felt his father's calloused fingers begin to run through his hair.

"Well, we're really in trouble then, aren't we?" Sakumo asked, and Kakashi smiled as the vibrations from his father's voice reverberated through his smaller frame.

"I can only hope that it's not Rin. Poor Obito would never stop bothering us," Sakumo stated absently, tugging at Kakashi's ear playfully. The loud Uchiha was already adamant enough about dragging Kakashi out of the house.

"No, it's worse. _Way_ worse," Kakashi sighed forlornly.

Furrowing his brow, Sakumo said: "You know, I thought it was impossible for your mother to ever love me, since she was a civilian and was so different from our world. Did you know she slapped me the first time we met? Ah- to be young."

"What happened?" Kakashi asked as he raised his head. While his father never shied away from questions Kakashi had of his passed mother, Sakumo very rarely brought her up himself.

"Oh, I was trying to show off to another girl at the market and stole an apple from her stall. She was mad and slapped me before taking back the apple and storming away," Sakumo explained with another laugh. "So I ditched the first girl and changed tactics to steal your mother's heart instead. Hardest mission I've ever had to do, but also the most rewarding by far."

Kakashi smiled, and Sakumo's chest swelled at being able to see it without the mask on for once.

"So don't worry little crow-chaser. You're gonna get whoever it is in the end. Not only are you intelligent and full of promise, our clan is way better than any other. Especially those noble four- gah, they've gotten so dull and dreary through the years."

Kakashi's smile widened for a moment before be dropped his head back down on his father's chest again. The boy let himself sit there for a moment more before carefully climbing back down. Kakashi was well aware that he was still a little gangly for his age, and he knew (from Obito slamming into him one too many times in his haste to get somewhere) that no one appreciated elbows as weapons.

"Thanks, Father. She does have the most wonderful pink hair..."

Sakumo was thankful that Kakashi's back was to him, or else he would have seen Sakumo tense.

"Ah- so you finally got to talk to Sakura-chan today, eh?"

"She totally _annihilated_ the training field today! And then she taught us this advanced genjutsu that I still haven't gotten the trick of, and-"

Sakumo forgot about his dinner, favoring to give all his attention to Kakashi as he wildly rambled and gesticulated about how awe-inspiring Haruno-sensei was and how the books and newspapers did give her nearly enough credit. By the way the boy talked, the day sounded like an epic adventure when in actuality it had just been training and then going out for dango ("That she even _paid_ for and didn't ditch us like Naruto-sensei!")

"I bet you're wishing you had her as your teacher now, huh?" Sakumo finally managed to get in as Kakashi took a moment to remember how to breathe.

"That would've been great," Kakashi said between sulking shoulders. "I cannot believe I was actually so wrong about something."

"Well, maybe Naruto will never come back from that mission or something," Sakumo joked offhandedly, but at the lack of laughter from his son, he looked up to see a pensive expression.

"Kakashi- _no_."

"But-"

"I forbid you from doing any harm to that guileless Naruto," Sakumo stated sternly.

It was hard to keep a serious face when his son sighed and his small chest visibly deflated.

.

Naruto finally meandered back after two weeks. Because of Sakura's busy schedule of hospital shifts, those private lessons, her own team, and some muttering about late night sake runs, Team Blond Bozo did not get as much time with her as Kakashi and Rin had anticipated. Obito was just homesick for their regular teacher and did not appreciate Haruno-sensei like the other two on his team. Odd, since he could barely stand Naruto when he was around.

But return the blond did, and all to find that toad-obsessed old guy. Apparently he was staked out in some distant cottage attempting to finish a manuscript that was long overdue. His publishing house had hired Naruto to badger him about it and then drag him in for a meeting.

Kakashi resisted the urge to physically crumple and let the river take him away when he saw Naruto bouncing along the road towards them. He'd enjoyed Haruno-sensei's calm demeanor and her ability to clearly teach things without him having to look 'beyond the beyond into the great void of self-achieved wisdom.' Yes, Kakashi was quite advanced for his age in ability, but that did not mean he did not always want to know more. And directions, or even hints, tended to help that along nicely.

So the time had come to return to the daily drivel of no Haruno-sensei and lame missions. Today it was fishing out koi that had escaped into a rice field. Oh, the glamor of shinobi duty.

"I miss Sakura-sensei already," Rin said next to him as they continued walking down the row, both holding a net and bucket. Obito and Naruto could be heard arguing a bit to their left.

Kakashi hummed in agreement lightly, fingers tensing around the wooden handle of the net.

"Those stupid boys don't appreciate her like us," Rin continued to complain and puffed up. She reminded Kakashi of the cardinals that visited the garden and seemed so self-righteous about how the sunflower seeds belonged to them solely. While they were quite bright and pretty to look at, they were annoying in how they did not listen to him. His father always just shook his head and told Kakashi to leave them alone.

"Hn," Kakashi supplied this time.

"At least I get to see her during those weekly lessons. We're beginning to learn about antidotes now. You should come," Rin said, added the last phrase in a rush. Kakashi looked down to see her lightly blushing.

"You should invite Obito instead. He needs medical attention more often than anyone," Kakashi replied back, ignoring the voice of 'YES. YES THAT WOULD BE GRAND. YES.' at the change the be mentored by Haruno-sensei again. Medical jutsus had never interested Kakashi, especially since his strengths swayed more towards the offensive than defensive.

Rin seemed to deflate even more.

They continued sloshing through the water, finding a few fish here or there. The pond had been quite big; it was unfortunate it had overflown from the storm last night.

Kakashi's eyes caught on something white in the water, harsh against the usual murk. Stripping off his glove, he reached for the glimmering object and pulled it out. Rin watched as he shook off the gunk and held it in his palm.

"Is that a tooth?"

"Makes sense since we're on the Nara clan's land. Maybe they buried a dead deer under the field to help nurture it? Or it could have just lost its baby teeth. Deer have baby and adult teeth like us, although this looks a little too big to come from a fawn," Kakashi said, and then stopped shortly when he realized he'd rambled.

Rin chuckled lightly and picked it up to inspect it for a moment.

"Now I have an anecdote _and_ an interesting fact to talk about if I'm ever around a Nara clan member," Rin joked before returning the tooth.

Kakashi pocketed it to add to his collection of finds at home.

.

"Whatcha got there?"

Kakashi nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice; the deer tooth in his hand jolted up as well, only for the person who'd spoken to snatch it.

"Hm- is this from the Nara clan? They're usually really protective about this kinda stuff. I should know. On behalf of the hospital I get the chore of haggling with Shikamaru ever year over their antlers. I've learned the key is just to get him drunk."

Kakashi willed his heart to slow down and turned to look at Haruno-sensei. When she noticed his eyes on her, she smiled lightly. Kakashi resisted the urge to smile back like the guileless fool he felt around her.

"I found it in a rice field," Kakashi supplied as he crossed his hands over his lap to stop them from twitching.

"So your team got the overflown koi pond. At least you didn't have to pull out sheep stuck in a lake of mud. One of them nearly had a fit trying to eat my hair off today."

Kakashi's eyes glanced towards the side fish-tail braids she sported today. He had noticed that had no daily hairstyle. Some days it would be up in a messy bun, another day a pony tail or a long braid down the middle. His favorite was when it was simply down, but he had only seen that once. It seemed slightly odd that someone so successful and driven in her studies and work would take the time, however little, to do something so distinctly civilian-like. Most shinobi and kunoichi alike did not bother with hair fashions, seemingly as there was so much else to do.

It reminded Kakashi of his own hair that he was fairly self-conscious about. It always stuck out at odd angles, especially in the morning. His father had a whole album of morning shots taken throughout the years of differing hair-lengths.

"Thank goodness I don't have any fringe to maintain," she added as she blew at her forehead, where imaginary bands sprung momentarily. "Although that would be a nice change."

Kakashi did not want to say anything embarrassing (like Obito daily with Rin), so he decided not to say anything at all. Kakashi also kept his eyes focused ahead of him over the bustling streets and high-stacked apartment buildings. He took measured breaths to calm himself, but when he realized this was the first time he and Haruno-sensei were by themselves, it surged up in speed.

"You don't really talk much, do you?" Haruno-sensei asked lightly as she offered back the tooth. "You were always attentive when I taught, but never commented much unless if was for clarification. Unlike some orange-goggle-wearing Uchihas."

Kakashi glanced at her, then the offering, before he shook his head once.

"I can keep it?" she asked, the left corner of her mouth tugging upwards.

Kakashi looked away and nodded once. If it got out half a smile from her, it was more than worth it. Even as his chest started to ache a little from his heart's attempt to succeed from his body for Haruno-sensei.

"Alright, thank you very much Kakashi-kun. How about in return, you can listen as I read aloud some medical journals. Sounds like a good deal, eh? I wonder where all my teacher awards are for being so helpful to you youths even on my time off."

At this, Kakashi simply shrugged before moving from a sitting position into a reclining one. His fingers remained crossed as he moved them to pillow his head, legs stretching out before him. It was nearing the end of Fall, else he would be baking in his nearly all black outfit on a tiled roof.

"Well, that's my cue," Sakura said, and Kakashi heard the ruffle of pages.

And so Kakashi absently listened as Sakura began to talk out journals and textbook passages. Whenever she would stop, he would lift a sandaled foot and tap her knee, reminding her that she had forgotten to speak aloud again. Kakashi felt rather than saw the late afternoon sun continue to dip towards the horizon. Slowly his heart and mind calmed and became accustomed to Haruno-sensei's presence.

"Well, I have to get going to make dinner. And shouldn't you get home to helping your Father?" she asked out, and Kaksahi jolted out from his slight doze.

Kakashi sat up suddenly, vision blurring from the head rush. This morning he promised to come home early to do some weeding and then harvest the last bought of snow peas to shell them for dinner. He had completely forgotten. He would curse Haruno-sensei if she was not so spectacular.

"Although this was odd that I'd find you here, it was nice to have your company. I remember better talking aloud, and it seems just a little lonely when I'm out here by myself. You wouldn't believe how many times Tsunade kicked me off the hospital's room. Hah!"

Kakashi absolutely did _not_ blush as she threw her head back at that exclamation of a laugh, her neck exposed in a very clear sign of trust even though she barely even knew him.

"You're really weird."

Kakashi wanted to slap his face into next week.

Yet Haruno-sensei did not seem offended by the statement; if anything, she looked endeared by his sudden honest.

"I finally got you to talk. Don't think just because I'm not teaching you anymore I won't see you around," she commented lightly as she picked up the various scrolls and tomes that must have created a weight equal to her own.

Kakashi stood and got up to leave as well. Just as he patted down his backside, she turned around and added: "Say hi to your Father for me too, would you?"

Hands still on his butt, Kakashi nodded silently. Her eyes narrowed at where his hands had stilled, and Kakashi removed them with a nervous cough. He forced himself to stand straight and hold his ground.

"You may want to wash those pants," Sakura said before chuckling and bounding off.

Frowning, he twisted looked down to his butt he'd just patting down, only to see the bird poo stain.

Now Kakashi wanted to slap his face into next _season_.

.

"I found a deer tooth in the rice fields that I thought belonged to the Nara clan and then Haruno-sensei said the same thing so it must be true- I saw her today accidentally because I was on a roof watching people – and then she came and I learned all about some type of plague that she's worried might be returning in the Rain country – apparently she might have to go and investigate – and she also talked about her hair being less than perfect which is just _ridiculous_ – and then when I got up to leave it was _so_ _uncool_ because I had accidentally sat on dried up, chalky bird shit for like a couple _hours_ – and now I'm here and I'll just do some clones to help pick the peas – I'm sorry for being late, Father – I wanted to keep the tooth and give it to you to add to our collection of finds, but I'll just search for some later in the forest and-"

"Kakashi, _breathe_. And don't swear, it's unbecoming of a lad like yourself."

"Oh, sorry," Kakashi said in another apology before ducking his head in embarrassment. Oh my Hokage- had he just rambled that all out in ten seconds flat? His Father probably didn't get the half of it. He needed to stop this random habit.

"Well, at least now I know why you took off your pants first thing coming through the door. And don't worry about the peas- I already got to them. You'll just have to do more weeding tomorrow to make up for it."

Kakashi resisted the urge to groan like Obito did when they had to miss lunch during training. He was turning to get to his room and cover up his paw-print-patterned boxers when he remembered his revered medic's last comment.

"Oh, and Haruno-sensei says hello," Kakashi said. "Not like she tells me differently every time and not like I wouldn't tell you about seeing her."

"No, you definitely never forget to mention her," Sakumo said to himself, smiling.

"Why are you doing that funny smile thing with your face again?"

"No reason at all, my crow conquerer."

.

Kakashi sighed as he pulled up the beetroot from the ground. He did not explicitly _dislike_ garden work, but he did enough of it back home that it got a little taxing when he had to do it for other people. And personally, he thought his near-jōnin-leveled skills could be used for something more useful.

"I cannot tell you how appreciative I am of your help," a kind voice said behind him, and he turned to see Kushina waddle out with a tray of lemonade balanced on her over-extended belly.

Kakashi knew 'waddle' was not a nice way to describe a woman (especially one as beautiful as her) but it could not be helped. The redhead just looked _that_ pregnant.

"_Mom_! You shouldn't be up! Dad is going to knock me on my head again!" Naruto whined as he went closer to his mother, picking up the tray gingerly to pass over to Obito, who had walked closer. The dark-haired youth was clearly entranced by the mother of his hero.

The woman laughed lightly, her voice high and soft and just so _motherly_ that Kakashi felt a sting in his chest.

"I just don't get why you didn't ask Ai or Hiraku and Hoshiko or Kazuki," Naruto continued to say, a hand settling over his mother's extended stomach gently.

_God. _Kakashi nearly shivered at the idea of having so many people constantly around to contend against. And there were _two more_, her _second_ pair of twins, on the way. Kakashi imagined his quiet house with his father and their plethora of plants, the garden, and the family of mice that lived in their compost that were getting ridiculously fat. It was a calm, quiet living that Kakashi looked forward to everyday to recharge at.

"Will you _stop_. You know I just saw Sakura-chan the other day and she says I can move around if I want. I'm a deadly kunoichi and I'm not _ancient_."

"But _Mom_ – you know this isn't, you know, like your others. You're not-"

"If you say I'm still not the shining beacon of youth you're going to get _two_ knocks on that empty head of yours."

Kakashi knew that Kushina had Naruto when she was relatively young: only seventeen. Then they had waited a good ten years to have another son, and then came fraternal twins a couple of years later, and another son nearly right after. This one had been entirely accidental (or at least according to Naruto-sensei) as she was nearing her mid forties. It was a pregnancy to pay attention to.

At the mention of Haruno-sensei, Kakashi perked up and meandered away from the beetroot patch.

"And you know that Sakura-chan is the best at what she does- oh, hello there Kakashi-kun."

Kakashi ducked his head in a slight bow.

"I swear you're growing faster than the weeds out here," Kushina said merrily as she reached over and ruffled his hair.

The silver haired youth wondered if it was because of its odd angle that people felt so inclined to do that. And he was not growing that fast; if anything he had always been small for his age group. He was finally catching up.

"Is there something you need?" she asked kindly, smiling face open.

Kakashi blinked before looking down at the beetroot in his hand, still held by the vibrant stems. Thinking quickly, and not wanting to reveal he had come over only in hope of hearing more about Haruno-sensei, he said: "Like many greens, beetroot leaves have exceptional nutritional value. They're rich in calcium, iron and lots of vitamins. They're bitter, but there are ways to cook them to get around that. It would be extremely beneficial to you and the babies' health."

Kakashi looked up from the leaves to the bewildered faces of Naruto and Obito, and the grinning one of Kushina.

"My Father and I attend to our garden daily," Kakashi added hastily as he looked down, resisting the urge to turn away and hide behind their massive rhubarb that was clearly in need of trimming.

"Thank you for your advice. My husband put this garden together so as not buy out the grocery store's produce for our family every time we go shopping, but he doesn't know anything about it. Poor Ino, she's been dragged here too many times to count," Kushina said with an ending laugh. "I see your father named you well, oh mighty defender."

Kakashi shrugged and felt himself relax at the familiar poke at his name; his father would have commended her on it.

"Since you seem so knowledgable, how about you stay to help me with dinner, and then you can stay to eat it? Get a free meal for giving me some new recipe ideas and tips?"

Kakashi thought about the mini army of siblings, seeing the Hokage in his domestic setting, but most importantly his father who would be left alone at the house.

"Of course I'll send Naruto out to get your Father," Kushina added lightly.

Kakashi thought about how rude it would be to decline, especially to his sensei's family, and so he raised his head and nodded.

"Fantastic," Kushina said with a small smile as she raised a hand to him.

Thinking at first that she wanted the beetroot, Kakashi was confused, since he did not think this one alone was going to make much of anything. Belatedly, as she raised a challenging eyebrow, Kakashi realized she wanted his hand. Blushing lightly, Kakashi put his hand in hers and the kind-faced mother latched on.

"Naruto, you finish pulling up the beats and collecting the fruit. Don't bruise anymore plums. Rin, Obito, you can go home for the day after taking some kaki with you in thanks."

Naruto whined like Akamaru and not the advanced jōnin and heir to the Hokage position person he was.

"After that, Naruto you go take a bath and find Hatake-san. Hurry up."

Kakashi gazed at the formidable kunoichi thoughtfully as she led him to the kitchen, his hand still clasped safely in hers.

.

"Why hello there my tireless worker," Kakashi heard his father say as he appeared into the kitchen area.

Quickly dumping the rest of the beetroot leaves into the pot, Kakshi turned and found himself being pulled up and into a warm chest.

"How was the patrol?" Kakashi asked, refusing to acknowledge Kushina observing them out of the corner of her eye. He patted his father's back lightly as his feet dangled helplessly. After a long moment, his father finally placed him back down on the ground.

"Boring," Sakumo said with a shrug that had him wincing a moment later.

"Someone decided to opt out of the mandatory post-mission check-up," Kushina said as she continued cutting up tomatoes for a salad.

Sakumo made a start to shrug again, but thought better of it instead and stated: "It's nothing major. Just a dislocation I fixed myself. And how could I resist putting off a personal invite from the noble Namikazes?"

"Keep talking like that and you may have a new step-mother Kakashi-kun."

'Oh Hokage, _parents. _What was it about adults having offspring that made them like this,' Kakashi thought to himself as he turned back to the leaves to check if they were ready for the milk.

"Although I really may do that just to have your little scarecrow around to help me. Not _one_ of my hoard of offspring are interested in helping me with any of the cooking."

"That's because you say we always mess it up," Ai supplanted from where he at at the counter reading; he absently tucked a vibrant red lock of hair behind his ear that had gotten loose from his high, messy bun.

"That's because you never learn," Kushina said with a slight growl that had the second-eldest sighing and returning back to his pages.

"Big bro is getting in a smack down he can't win again," Hiraku whispered in a high laugh to her twin Hoshiko, their matching long blond hair shaking with their mirth.

"And where is Kazuki? I told you two this morning to pick him up from the Academy today, but I don't see him anywhere. Has he already perfected that invisibility jutsu?"

"Uh- I thought _you_ were going to get him," they said in perfect, jaunty unison that had Kushina rolling her violet eyes yet again.

But just then there was a knock on the door and the twins were off with another synchronized: "We got it!"

There was some muffled talk before heavy footsteps could be heard. Kakashi turned away from the pot to almost squeal at the sight of Haruno-sensei coming in, a murderous aura clear in her frown.

Her eyes swept the room before immediately signaled him out, eyes focused on his silver hair, before she looked down into his eyes and asked: "Where is your father, Kakashi-kun?"

"You were the one in charge of checking the patrol team?" Kushina asked, although it sounded more like a statement than inquiry. A hand covered her mouth, obviously hiding a smile.

"I must say, Kushina-san, that your garden is lovely if not wild- oh, hello Sakura-chan," Sakumo said lightly as he came back into the room, the sliding door clicking closed as he put his inside slippers back on. "Are you here for something?"

Kakashi wanted to hide a little as he saw a tick develop in the medic's eyebrow before marching over to the older shinobi. She grabbed his injured shoulder and marched him back out to the porch he just came out from. A few moments later Kakashi heard a yip from his father. The silver-haired boy found his mouth slightly gaping; Kakashi had no idea his dignified father could make such a noise.

"A word to the wise: Sakura as a healer is merciless," Kushina said grimly before adding cheerily: "Now, as the guest of honor, how would you like the fish prepared?"

.

Kakashi resisted the urge to frown as he sat squished against Naruto and across of Ai. The other Hatake was closer to the opposite end of the table with Minato. While Kakashi sulked over the distance from his father, he was more disappointed about being on the opposite end of Haruno-sensei. He could have dinner anytime with his father, but this was a rare occurrence that was clearly going to get wasted.

"Naruto, switch places with me. Your sister is using horrible pick-up lines on me again," the person Kakashi had just been moping over said. Without another word, she picked Naruto up by his collar and out of his chair as he squawked unceremoniously.

"Fine, fine," the blond grumbled after seeing his mother's scathing look, shoulders hunched as he moved to sit aside of a frowning Hiraku.

"She wasn't really that bad, but I thought you might want some time away from him after a full day. Also, you're looking a little lost and in need of an ally in this sea of colorful heads," Sakura said as she slid into the recently vacated seat.

Kakashi grinned and although it was not a big smile, he liked to think she could see it through his mask.

"Oh Sakura-chan, don't talk like that when I'm right here," Kushina said lightly, as she sat at the end of the table closest to them. "I like to think Kakashi-kun warmed up to me alright when we were cooking together."

Kakashi slowly nodded once; it was odd but not unwelcome to cook with someone else that was not his father. Or those pathetic rations that only needed hot water on away missions that Obito still always managed to mess up.

Haruno-sensei shrugged before turning back to Kakashi and saying: "By the way, I talked to Shikamaru and he said the tooth probably came from a big buck. A back molar- they're especially useful for medicinal purposes. Not as much as their horns of course, but they're still prized. It was a rare find indeed."

Kakashi hummed noncommittally, hiding his sadness that she did not want to keep it for herself. He should have known she would be too good to be greedy.

"But I don't think it'd be worth it to grind it down since it's old and was suspended in water for who knows how long. I'm happy that I can keep it for myself without a guilty conscious."

"Great," Kakashi voiced brightly, shocked that she was giving such thought to it.

"Yeah it's- _hey_! When did you eat?" Haruno-sensei said in genuine shock as she looked down at his empty plate and bowl.

"Right around when you mentioned 'molar.' You gave me ample time," Kakashi said, ignoring the slight throb on his tongue that meant he should have let the soup cool longer.

"Well, as long as you have manners about coming into the hospital when you're hurt to get properly treated are good, the others can fall behind a bit. I know he's a hero and all, but you don't have to be exactly like your Father."

"Yeah, I don't really do ponytails," Kakashi muttered.

Green eyes blinked before she was throwing her head back and laughing without abandon again; Kakashi couldn't hold back the burning blush this time. Especially when everyone at the table glanced over at them. Only Kakashi seemed to notice his father's cough that was clearly a laugh into his napkin.

"I'll keep that in mind when I feel lazy about my hair and need motivation," Sakura said absently.

"No- I didn't- your hair looks amazing no matter what. Really," Kakashi blurted, only to feel his blush intensify as Kushina at his obvious blundering. Maybe Kakashi should let up on Obito some; this really as hard.

"I still want to cut it a little. It's gotten out of control," Sakura sighed lightly.

"Nonsense," Kushina said before adding with a wink towards Kakashi's direction, "Kakashi-kun is completely right, it looks great."

"Easy for you to say, Mrs. Rustic Red."

And suddenly the conversation was all about hair colors and styles and then eyes and troubles with finding clothes that did not clash and Kakashi was entirely out of his league. Having dark grey eyes and silver hair, he could not relate. Not that it mattered as he did not wear anything other than white, grey or black with the odd accented red.

Soon enough desert was put out and eaten in a flurry ("Oh- Kakashi-kun I'll see your face some day!" "Not before me!" Naruto exclaimed in return) and the silver-haired father and son were heading out with a pink-haired teacher as company.

His father had always spoken so warmly about Haruno-sensei, so Kakashi was a little confused at how shy and twitchy she suddenly seemed around him. Walking between the two and feeling like a buffer, Kakashi glanced back and forth to try to figure it out. His father seemed oblivious about it.

"Well, I have to go this way," Haruno-sensei said and Kakashi lifted a hand in parting before starting off, his father in turn giving a warm parting 'Good-night.' Both Hatakes did not bother to wish her a safe walk, because who in their right mind would attack such a legend?

"She was nervous around you," Kakashi stated immediately when he was sure Haruno-sensei was out of earshot.

"Yes, well, remember how I told you that first mission wasn't the first time I met her? She probably blames herself for something when I first met her. Ah- to be young and think everything is always all your fault."

"You're sounding a lot like Lee-sensei and Guy," Kakashi said with a wrinkle of his nose that had his father laughing. "And don't change the subject," he added sharply.

"Another story for another time," Sakumo said in a clear attempt to deflect his constantly curious son.

"But she saved your entire squad. Surely she knows that absolves any past transgressions. Just like you always say: she put friends ahead of the mission."

Sakumo sighed deeply before leaning down and grabbing onto Kakashi's small shoulders. Now his arm moved without a flicker of pain; Kakashi ticked it off as another example for how amazing Haruno-sensei was.

"Sometimes, people don't focus on the present as much as they should. They're haunted by the ghosts that follow them."

"Ghosts aren't real," Kakashi said petulantly.

"For some they're as real as you and me," Sakumo said with a sad smile that his son did not like seeing on his face.

Before Kakashi had time to think, his father hauled him up on his shoulder like a sack of potting soil. Resisting the urge to giggle and squirm, Kakashi laid limp and allowed it. Soon, he told himself, Kakashi would not allow his father to embarrass him like this. He had a cool reputation to start fostering.

.

Kakashi blinked at the bright morning sunlight a few days later. He was sitting on the back porch, drinking green tea and watching sparrows peck at some apricots he had not picked yet. He wanted to make some into preserves and tarts, but he did not absolutely need to. Overall, it had been a nice, relaxing morning.

Knowing his father was still away on his caravan mission to Sunagakure (and this time he wore a turban to hide his hair), Kakashi decided he would go do the market shopping after all. Usually they would have gone earlier, but Kakashi had allowed himself the luxury of sleeping in, then reading, and currently lounging.

He dressed in a casual black kimono with his father's known red triangles decorating the sleeves. Feeling nostalgic, Kakashi wrapped his father's old red ANBU scarf around his face to further hide his masked face. Grabbing the old satchel his father usually slung over his shoulder, Kakashi was out the door at a slight trot.

After hearing about the story of how his parents had met, Kakashi finally understood his father's odd fascination with markets. How he was always so adamant about going to any they could. With his wife long gone, his father probably searched avidly for any semblance of familiarity to feel connected to her.

Kakashi's slippers slapped along a few old cobble roads before he arrived at the lively line of stalls and people milling about.

Going with tradition, the market had stayed in this neighborhood since its first weekend generations ago. When Kakashi asked why they lived in the 'Ancient Burough of the First Hokage's time,' his father shrugged and said it had been cheap. And that there had been a small greenhouse his mother had been quite adamant about in back. And now Kakashi understood it was close to the market they had first met at. Wow, his father surely was a romantic.

While their family of two did grow a good amount of their own food, there was still things they did not. It was usually easier to go to this market than try and battle at the grocery store. Kakashi shivered – he really did not like that place. Lots of artificiality in both the people and products.

He started by getting a strawberry rhubarb pastry before getting down to shopping. He bought some walnuts and almonds, some apples. He could admit: the market fever had rubbed off on him after all those year of his father's insistence. He looked around for that mushroom vendor, but instead Kakashi spotted a flash of pink.

Haruno-sensei was laughing with a blond woman and a dark-haired man who had on an obviously fake expression: ex-ROOT then. Kakashi's initial profiling was only enforced further when the man turned and stared right a the silver-haired boy with icy indifference. Then the tattoo of the red-tailed hawk on his shoulder twisted its head to look at Kakashi as well, a wing unfurling threateningly.

Ignoring his instinct to immediately turn away, Kakashi maintained eye contact for a beat more before moving away. He and his father did not usually come this late to the market, which was probably why they had never seen Haurno-sensei before. He wondered if she came every week at this time or if this was a rare occurrence. Nonetheless, Kakashi started formulating strategies to stall his father so they left later. There would be more people, but Kakashi was willing to suffer for the trade.

A little later Kakashi walked back home, satchel and arms laden down with smart purchases. He thought that although he had a better chance of missing a midlife crisis from dying before fifty than getting Haruno-sensei to actually _look_ at him, he was simply glad she was there. It had made his day better just being able to see her profile in the sun.

Sakumo returned home some time later to the smell of rhubarb and berries coupled with lingering apricot. Sighing both at the welcoming smell after a world of sun and sand in uncomfortable places (not to mention that turban made his had so hot; he hoped that grandmother would leave him alone already), Sakumo dragged himself into a shower first and then came out to the kitchen. Lining the counters were pastries and jars filled with preserves or jam.

Sakumo grabbed some things before joining his son on the back porch, whose masked nose wasvcrammed in a book. Sakumo ruffled his hair playfully before stuffing an entire pastry into his mouth.

"I tried to recreate one I had at the market this morning," Kakashi said as a welcome. "Obviously I still need to do some alterations to the recipe."

"None of this is stress baking, is it? I know you do that," Sakumo said as he spread apricot preserves on a piece of bread and biting down eagerly. It was a little bitter in Sakumo's opinion, but Kakashi had never been very keen to sweet things.

"This doesn't have anything to do with Sakura-chan does it?"

"Sometimes I despise how perceptive you are," Kakashi mumbled as he pulled the book closer to his face, as if physically willing it to suck him away. He usually got metaphorically lost in the worlds between the vertical lines of ink, but now he was foolishly hoping it could become a physical reality.

"I already told you, my straw-son, that you're going to be just fine. Better than fine- _great_ one day. Just like you are now."

Kakashi huffed; the child never had been very patient.

"I never thought my son would be the love lorn one. Oh, your mother's laughs must be shaking down heaven's door," Sakumo said jubilantly.

"I just... worry."

"You're twelve and are realizing you can't control everything. Of course you're going to worry. Don't get down so early."

"I'm not _down_," Kakashi said sharply as he stood up, book snapping closed before he retreated into the garden.

"Of course not, Kakashi," Sakumo said in a sigh as he watched the tense way his little body moved.

Maybe it was not only shinobi legacies Sakumo had passed down to his son. Maybe he had also given over a total lack of social finesse and understanding people. While Kakashi had always strived for perfection (and really could have made chunin at half his age now easily if Sakumo had allowed) those few times he struggled everything seemed to start unraveling fast.

But this was just a crush. A harmless, hopeful thing. While this was far from the easiest choice, and just because the boy could be stingy and strict, Sakumo knew that did not mean Kakashi was going to give up anytime soon.

.

* * *

><p><span>An ending note<span>: This is entirely inspired by the generation switch AU idea I learned about from the KakaSaku anonymous tumblr. OH go check them out such amazing fanart and fanfic recs and so welcome and friendly and just URGH such lovely shippers we all are. Again, it's: [_ksanon . tumblr . com]. _The scene of Kakashi getting his heart metaphorically punched out by Sakura came from a comic there.

Laslty, thanks for choosing to venture into this story with me - I hope you enjoy. I plan for it to be equal parts silly and heartfelt. Cheers!

.

Posted: 10.2.2014


	2. Of Milk and Misery

Chapter Two: Of Milk and Misery

Kakashi sighed as he watched his father animately talk with Shikaku Nara next to the dried curries in the spice isle. Sometimes his similarly silver-haired parent seemed like a civilian, as shown in his current aimless chattering. Or that he wore more kimonos more than his gear and often left his weapons at home. Although maybe that was because he did not need anything to effortlessly kill a man.

The boy wandered down the isle, looking at all the bottled herbs they had growing back home. Kakashi's eyes stopped on a jar of cinnamon sticks: something they did not have. He could try making that weird 'chai tea' he had on the road from that eccentric wandering merchant. The woman had been very much in awe of Naruto-sensei and the whiskers on his cheeks. Of course the blond had puffed up and enjoyed the attention immensely the entire time, until the woman spotted Rin and her focus changed. At least the tea had been good, if a little too sweet.

"Hello there!"

Apparently forgetting the hours upon hours of small weapons training, Kakashi fumbled with the glass jar a moment before securing it in his gloved hands. Trying to will down his irritation at himself for being caught off guard so blatantly, Kakashi turned to see Haruno-sensei and that broody Uchiha behind her.

"Haruno-sensei," he addressed blandly.

"You've been a teacher for four months and you already have brats not on your team calling you that," the sulky man said behind her.

"Sorry we can't all be called 'descended from the heaven above to grace us with your face and presence' by everyone around," Sakura added with an elbow towards his ribs. The man easily avoided the attack, hummed, and then turned to wander away.

"Oh- is that Sakura-chan?" Kakashi heard his father's loud voice ask and the boy resisted the urge to sigh.

"Good afternoon, Sakumo-san. I don't often see you here. What could you possibly need with that lovely garden you have out back?"

"Turmeric and confectioners sugar, and apparently now cinnamon sticks," Sakumo listed off with a shrug. "Kakashi is going through an Indian faze. And the pastries he's been making need frosting."

"You just have a sweet tooth," Kakashi muttered in argument.

"And milk! The cow of the grandmother we usually get ours from is sick. Poor beast, I hope she gets better soon," Sakumo added with a sympathetic frown.

"I'm sure Kiba-kun is already on the case," Haruno-sensei said with a shrug.

Sakumo opened his mouth as if to speak, but stopped when his nose twitched. Knowing exactly what was coming, Kakashi pulled out a handkerchief and handed it wordlessly to his father. Not a moment later, the man sneezed into it with the might of a tempest.

"Allergies?" Sakura asked with a badly concealed chuckle.

Kakashi resisted the urge to pull his father's sleeve to try and stop the loud bugle-like noises as he blew his nose. That was Kakashi's favorite handkerchief and people were _staring_.

"Just all these strong scents here. My nose is a little too finely honed for it," Sakumo said with a pathetic sniff.

Then, just like with that Nara clan member, Kakashi's father started a new conversation and they were chatting animately away. It stemmed from recent missions to how Minato was faring with all the paperwork, and then into the newest summons. All the while Sakumo pathetically sniveling and Haruno-sensei politely ignoring it. Kakashi absently stared back and forth between his two biggest inspirations as they took turns talking. He did not feel he had anything important to add, and he was content with listening.

It was only when the Uchiha came back, arms laden with a few bags of tomatoes, that the kind medic said she had to be going.

"Hatake-san," the dark-haired man said in acknowledgment. Kakashi glancing back to his similarly-clad kimono father who was still smiling despite the frosty vibe from the Uchiha.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakumo said with a slight smirk. "That Obito of your clan sure is a handful these days."

"Oh, don't start him on that again. If he isn't complaining about Naruto, he's complaining about 'that orange-goggled fiend that is _no_ cousin of mine' who keeps stealing his tomatoes."

"He does that with us too," Sakumo said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Kakashi nearly fumbled with the jar of cinnamon sticks again as three pairs of eyes trained on him.

"Rin likes them. She enjoys making tomato soup, but will only uses fresh ones to make it," Kakashi confessed. "In exchange for gathering the tomatoes, she'll give some of the soup to Obito."

Sasuke did an odd 'tsk' like noise before he was off, probably to ward off his modest sized plot of land at his thriving compound.

"That's my queue. It was nice seeing you Hatakes," Sakura said with a brilliant grin before darting off.

'That was odd, with a heavy side of embarrassment, but still rewarding,' Kakashi thought; 'Not much of a change for our past interactions, then.' Kakashi really needed to get his heart in place so his head could actually function at some sort of normal level around the pink-haired beauty from above.

"Should we have offered that boy some of our tomatoes? I almost feel bad for him," Sakumo added as they headed towards the milk isle. "It's not like everyone has such a great son to chase away pests. Oh well, he'll probably just put hide some snakes and Obito will learn his lesson."

Kakashi picked up the small amount of items at the checkout while his dad paid for it. As they exited the grocery store, Kakashi looked around absently to see if he could get one last glance at Haruno-sensei.

"Goodness, friendships are quite affectionate these days," Sakumo said offhandedly. "Back in my day you wouldn't be allowed to do that unless you were engaged. Not that your mother or I ever listened to that drivel."

Kakashi's head was a silver blur as he turned and saw the sight of Haruno-sensei with her arm tucked into the Uchiha's. They each carried their modest sized bag of groceries in the other.

_That was just-_ Kakashi yelped as his body was suddenly covered in cold milk.

"Oh my, how _embarrassing_," Sakumo noted with a laugh at the sight of his son covered head to toe with milk, the plastic container burst and contorted in his hands. It seemed to be the word of the day (no, his _life_ lately) for Kakashi.

Sakumo handed Kakashi back his handkerchief before turning back into the store to get more milk.

When he reappeared, Kakashi was sitting on the curb sulking, still dripping and surrounded by alley cats.

* * *

><p>Posted: 10.10.2014<p> 


	3. Of Attires and Artists

Chapter Three: Of Attires and Artists

.

"Why can't I just wear this kimono?" Kakashi asked gloomily as he stood in favorite black one, the Hatake's red triangles lining the left sleeve. Kakashi was sure before they had been a bright red, but now they were muted from the sun and multiple washings.

"Because it's nearly threadbare from being older than me, not to mention you wear that weekly anyway. We need something _special_," Sakumo said as he dug in to an old dresser that Kakashi could only assume grandparents smelled like.

"I don't even know them- why do I have to go?"

"We go to Ino-chan's shop monthly."

"Because you just want more flowers around all the time," Kakashi grumbled as he crossed his arms, red triangles creasing. "You and her dad chat like two old widows."

"Ah-hah! Here we are- I knew we still had this in here."

Thanking his mask yet again as it hid his clear surprise, Kakashis eyes widened as a mon-tsuki spilled out.

"I understand that we know Yamanaka-san but isn't that a bit much, Father?" Kakashi asked.

"Nonsense. You were too small to wear it at the Hokage induction, and soon you're going to outgrow it. Wear it at least _once_. It's not like I have any sons to wear it after me. And who knows when the next ceremony will be."

'Crafty,' Kakashi thought, 'pulling out the single-heir-and-ultimate-joy-bringer-in-life card. No wonder he's a genius.'

"Fine," Kakashi mumbled as he shucked out of his comfortable kimono. Sakumo watched avidly as Kakashi put the various pieces on. It was nearly all black but for the red triangles lining the left sleeve. Kakashi's fingers brushed over the only other color on the ensemble: the bright silver tuff of fur against his stomach.

"Yuki gave that to me, the lovable old banshee. Really didn't want to, but my father convinced her," Sakumo said forlornly as he brushed the tuff of fur. "It was the bit at the end of her tail and it took her a few months to fully regrow it."

Kakashi patted his dad's hand for a moment, seeing dark eyes fog over in sadness for his old summon. The lovely wolf had been the last of her line and had been killed in the war. She had not given birth to any pups beforehand, meaning her line had ended. It stopped a summons tradition with the Hatakes that had lasted too many generations to count. Apparently the wolves were beginning to repopulate again, but his father had decided to put that behind him.

"Well, let me just quickly fish out my father's one yet again," Sakumo said as he stood and shook his head lightly, moving back into the dresser to pull out a matching mon-tsuki. The one Kakashi wore was a little too long but he noted, as his father tied his obi, that it fit his impressive height perfectly. Kakashi wondered and hoped he would fit in to it as easily one day, too.

A knock jolted both Hatakes for a moment before Kakashi turned to get the door, resisting the urge to grumble. His home was his haven and he really despised anyone who disturbed it. Usually it was only Obito who visited randomly, and he never bothered to knock so who-

"Oh, thank goodness you haven't left yet," Haruno-sensei said with a breath of relief in a way of welcome.

Kakashi only blinked at her, and then glanced down at her kimono. It was a gorgeous pattern of red and white inverted sakura branches in full bloom. And then he saw the massive blotch of what looked like water all over the obi and front. He stiffened for a moment, suddenly getting hit with the heady smell of sake.

"Is that Sakura-chan?" Sakumo asked as he rounded out of the corner, tugging lightly on his sleeves to straighten them. "I was wondering where that smell had suddenly come from. No one starts this early around here usually, even if it is a Saturday."

"Sakumo-san, I am so sorry to bother you, truly, but, well, I just didn't- and I know your wife had been about my height- and I know it's really asking a lot but- Ino is going to _murder me_- and I'm _already_ late-"

"Calm down, you're sounding just like Kakashi-kun when he's excited," Sakumo said with a smile as he walked past the boy just mentioned, taking the pink-haired teacher by the elbow and leading her into their house. Kakashi closed the door with a creak before trotting after them, resisting the urge to kick in his father's knees. He was working on that rambling habit but it was hard.

"I see our Hokage-sama got a little excited about her second-best student getting married?" Kakashi heard his father ask as they went back to the drawer.

"Ah, yes, well, more like the bottle that contained her gift for Ino wasn't properly made," Sakura said with clear annoyance. "I think my sense for danger has gone down too much since the war."

"A mis-made ceramic container shouldn't be anything to fret over. Go wash up now- the bathroom is right over there. Kakashi and I will look for something fitting."

"Oh, thank you, I tried to get it out but you know it just _reeks_, and there's already enough rumors from me succeeding Tsunade-shishou in more ways than one, and I like I said I'm already late-"

"Yes, yes, go on now," Sakumo said to interrupt another fractured rant. Sakura nodded before moving away.

"I didn't know you saved some of Mom's kimonos," Kakashi said as he watched his father open the lowest drawer and bring out mounds of fabric wrapped in paper.

"For a time when someone might need them," Sakumo said with a wink. "Now, start unwrapping. With her hair and eyes it's going to be hard to find something that doesn't clash. Thank goodness those forehead seals are a green as well."

The first was a mirage of butterflies in deep blues and violets ("I don't think she's a very delicate butterfly person."). Second was a soft yellow with wheat, the obi attached to it a bright gold ("A little too flashy."). The third was a village at the hem decked in snow, the white climbing higher in to a pale blue at the shoulders ("Too white, can't upstage that Ino-chan."). They continued on like this for a few more, father and son deciding against them all.

Kakashi could not stop a smile from growing as he revealed the second to last one. It had a bright red backdrop with white red-crowned cranes. There were three on the back in mid-flight and four on the back and front of the sleeves sitting and looking up. The two on the front were dancing to each other in their courting ritual. Interwoven behind them was a deep green collection of abstract lines that looked to be foliage. Yet the cranes stood out in their stark white and silver, the silk gleaming as if happy to be out and seen.

"Oh, I remember that one," Sakumo said fondly as he felt the soft fabric between hardened hands.

"Ur- Sakumo-san? Kakashi-kun? Have you found anything yet?" Sakura asked from the bathroom, jolting the two Hatakes into motion for the second time that morning.

"Here, you take that to her and I'll hang these out to air in the back. They've gotten quite musty," Sakumo said happily as he piled up the kimonos in his arms and headed out to their laundry line.

Taking a deep breath, Kakashi took the vibrant kimono and adjoining silver obi. His steps were sure and quick as he made his way to the bathroom, careful not to let the fabric drag.

He knocked politely before saying: "I have my eyes closed."

Kakashi heard the creak and thought about all those stories of the heroes saying promises they never followed through on. But she was one of the Terrible Three and he was not just a genius by gossip. Kakashi imagined her head tilting as he heard the soft jingle of her hair ornaments adjusting.

"Oh, it looks stunning, _thank you_, let me just-"

And then the fabric was out of his hands and Kakashi sighed as he heard the door shut again.

.

"I cannot thank you two nearly enough for your help. This kimono is just _amazing_. Mine is great, Tsunade-shishou got it for me at the end of the war, but this one is just magnificent. It must have cost you a _fortune_ Sakumo-san."

"Nothing is ridiculous for a man intending to woo a woman. And who had also just finished an S-class mission."

"I thought it was a courting gift."

Kakashi resolutely kept his eyes on his sandals; they were mostly made of straw and were itchy. Kakashi wanted to wear his regular ones, since no one was really going to see them anyway from the long hem on the mon-tsuki, but Sakumo had put his foot down. Literally. Right on Kakashi's toes, making the boy nearly howl and Haruno-sensei laugh. But then when Sakumo had gone to get the gift, she had ushered Kakashi closer and healed him in a flash of glowing light.

"I'm grossly late, but I don't think Ino will mind when I show up in this. She was the one who was all about a traditional wedding anyway."

"Hopefully you won't distract people from Yamanaka-san too much," Kakashi said absently as he saw a sparrow land on a telephone line. A moment later he resisted the urge to bite his tongue off when he realized he'd said that _aloud_.

"Why? Is it my hair? I know these ornaments are a little much, but-"

"I think what Kakashi means is that you look simply breathtaking and Ino-chan might get a little jealous," Sakumo-san supplied cooly.

Kakashi blushed vibrantly under his mask when he looked up to see Haruno-sensei smiling gently down at him.

"Oh, I think she'll have more of a problem dealing with Naruto and Sasuke having to stay still and silent during the ceremony," Haruno-sensei said absently as she ran a finger under the top of the thick silver obi.

When Haruno-sensei was distracted by a cat running by, Kakashi took the opportunity to punch his father in the ribs. Sakumo, on his part, played it off quite well with another excuse of allergies when Haruno-sensei asked why he was coughing like that (although Kakashi could hear the laughter in it).

Soon enough they arrived at the Hyuga compound. Apparently Hinata-sensei had managed to convince Hanabi to offer the estate for the wedding and Ino had been all too happy to accept. There were white lanterns strewn about, and it would not be a Yamanaka party without an overflow of flowers.

"Who is the groom again? _Is_ it a groom?" Kakashi asked as he resisted the urge to growl as yet another person bumped into him. Did they not know where to look before they stepped? He was not that short. But more importantly: did they not know who he _was_?

Haruno-sensei gave a laugh before she was heading off in a different direction and Kakashi did not bother resisting a frown. Sakumo grabbed his sleeve and pulled Kakashi along to the already sizable mound of presents. He placed the potted bamboo down where hopefully it would not get toppled over.

"Yamanaka-san will get the meaning behind it, right?" Kakashi asked as another person bustled him. His shoulders instinctively hunched up a little.

"I'm sure she will," Sakumo said as he put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, pushed it down to a more relaxed position. Keeping his hand there, he lead Kakashi closer to where the lines of chairs were quickly becoming filled.

"Hatakes sighted!"

Wanting to flee, Kakashi turned to see an ocean of red and yellow heads, all dressed in matching bright orange kimonos with a white cloud pattern. There was a red swirl at the back of each while the obi was white like the clouds. Kakashi thought about how Sakumo had been so adamant about getting the color coordination right for Haruno-sensei, but it seemed the Namikazes needed the lesson much more.

"Come over here Kakashi-chan!" Naruto said from the front of the family hoard. "I can't stay, since I have to go up with Sasuke-bastard now, but you'll be good hands with my family. Poor Sakura-chan, being the best man _and_ bridesmaid. That's what she gets for being nice. See ya!"

And with that he had glomped (because there was really no better description for the action) on to his supposedly best friend and dragged the Uchiha away. Kakashi's eyes narrowed at the katana at his hip. Kakashi thought weddings were peaceful, a place where weapons were left at home.

"How kind of you to offer," Sakumo said to a retreating Naruto as he pushed Kakashi forward, making the boy look back and give his father a blank look that was his own special way of glaring.

Kakashi felt a warm hand slip in to his and looked up to see Kushina's smiling face. Her stomach seemed even larger with the added layers of her kimono.

"Come on, you can ignore the mayhem and sit with me," she said with a squeeze of his hand before pulling Kakashi along.

.

Kakashi recognized the red-tailed hawk tattoo man was the groom. He stood with a fake smile and a white kimono that had complicated ink drawings of animals all over it. From the slight look of infuriation that passed over Yamanaka-san's face when she first spotted him was anything to go by, it was a last-minute change.

Trying to be polite, Kakashi kept his eyes on the ceremony, but Haruno-sensei just to the left of it kept distracting him. Partially because she kept glaring ice at Naruto and the Uchiha that seemed to be ready to spring at any moment at each other's necks. Yes, Hinata-sensei and Tenten-sensei looked pretty as well, but they did not compare to Kakashi's forever girl.

Finally they were allowed to stand and head over to the food. With Haruno-sensei's sudden appearance, the silver-haired family had forgotten to have some sort of breakfast. Kakashi had resisted the urge to curl in to himself whenever his stomach growled loudly during the ceremony.

When his father decided to head off to go socialize (aka drink without worrying about his son judging), Kakashi decided to stay behind with Kushina-san. Her children had all dispersed to find their friends (and no doubt create havoc) and her husband had gone off to find people as well. Kakashi did not feel up for any of that, and instead grabbed some plates of food for them and sat in relative silence. Or, at least, until a band set up and music began playing.

"Oh, this brings me back to my wedding," Kushina said with a cheerful breath of laughter. "Poor Naruto had just started having tantrums at the time, and I was petrified he was going to have one during the ceremony. Thank goodness Jiraiya was there to distract him."

"And I wouldn't miss our dance for the world," the current Hokage said in entrance from behind her. Ducking down while taking a seat aside of her, he kissed her forehead and put a hand on her stomach.

"Well, you'll have to wait. Kakashi-kun gets my first dance for not abandoning me like some _others_- oh wait, excuse me - my _whole family_."

"Sweetie," Minato said in a whine, and suddenly Kakashi understood where Naruto really came from.

Kushina rolled her violet eyes and kissed his cheek. The blond pulled her closer in response, his hand still not moving off of her stomach. Kakashi turned away from it, the domesticity of it all nearly suffocating. He wondered briefly if his parents had been like that.

"That's ok. We'll just get Sakura-chan to come over and take your place," Minato said with a wink at Kakashi that he totally did not snort at.

Sometimes Kakashi wondered if having Naruto-sensei as his teacher was the worst, and then he thought about what it would have been like to have his father. The one who created and raised the monstrosity. He repressed as shiver.

.

"You really should come dancing with us, son."

Kakashi did not even bother looking up from the book he had smuggled in. It was a really old historical myth, and it was totally bogus, but it was still an interesting read as dragons had finally made an appearance. It was better than watching adults get drunk and kids get sick after five pieces of cake.

Sakumo sighed at his silent son before offering his hand to Kushina-san who, although having just gotten to sit down after a dance with Ai, shrugged and took his hand with a smile. Kakashi watched them begin twirling out of the corner of his eye, his Father as kind-faced as ever.

Finally the leader of the dragons had shown up and now it was obviously time for the hero to learn the blind creature's wisdom-

"Kakashi-kun, what are you doing? It's a wedding and you're wearing the most handsome mon-tsuki around. And there's _at_ _least_ three girls too shy to ask you to dance waiting for you to notice them. And yet you're just reading an old dusty book."

After carefully folding a dog-eared crease to his current page, Kakashi promptly shut his book and turned to Haruno-sensei.

"I just was waiting for the right person," he said truthfully as he stashed his book and stood, offering a hand to her.

"Well, I don't see the harm in one dance," she said with a smile as she took Kakashi's offered hand, following him to the dance floor.

Carefully, he lifted a hand to her waist, and then barely managed to put the tips of his fingers on her shoulder. She smiled softly before taking off the barely-holding-on hand and holding it in her own. Kakashi was immensely thankful he had decided to wear gloves, else she would have felt just how truly clammy his hands were.

He was so focused on keeping a steady gaze over her shoulder and not missing a step that Kakashi missed what Haruno-sensei said and fumbled slightly to say: "What?"

"I _said_- have you gotten your portrait done yet? Sai-kun is doing one for any guest that asks."

Kakashi ducked his head, wondering if he should. There was one portrait in their house, and it was painted when Kakashi had turned one. His mother sat with him in her arms, eyes brown and hair a dark yellow. His father stood behind them, a proud smile on his face.

"Maybe," Kakashi muttered.

They continued to dance in silence for a while. Kakashi noted that Uchiha was coming closer to them, as if intent on dancing with Haruno-sensei, so he took the lead and danced them across the floor quickly to evade him. She laughed lightly at the sudden show of skill and speed.

"Ino liked this kimono better than my original one. I'm afraid she may come sniffing around for the others."

Kakashi scoffed and furrowed his brow. Like he was going to actually give up his mother's possessions as simple as that. He had very few, and the kimonos were a very welcome discovery.

"Don't be mean," she said with reproachfulness that made Kakashi want to fold into himself a little. "A lot of the village was burnt in the war and it's hard to find vintage, traditional items like this. It really is quite a heirloom. I hope whoever gets it will appreciate it."

"You could have it," Kakashi mumbled for only his sandals to hear, as Haruno-sensei was still talking.

"By the way, I didn't realize that you used the same shampoo as me," she said offhandedly, and Kakashi almost forgot how to move his body. "It's great, isn't it? Smells really discrete and everything."

"It's my Father's," Kakashi lied quickly. Or, half lied. Both of them used it. And he always picked it out because he liked it. Three-fourths lied.

"Hm," she hummed before ducking down and putting her nose to his hair. "Then why do you smell like it?"

Kakashi willed to not gape, quake and forget how to move his feet but it was a lost cause. Haruno-sensei barely winced when he stepped on her toes in his fumbling. Kakashi was sure that his entire face had turned into a red blotch, and even his mask would not help him here.

"It's what happens when you live with someone," Kakashi tried to rebuke.

She seemed to sense how much she had thrown him, as she retreated quickly and broke their dance. She took her hand back to pat his hair that stubbornly sprung back up. Kakashi glanced up, and again saw that dark haired Uchiha coming their way, this time with clear intent behind his steps and a slight frown on his handsome face.

"I want a portrait with you," Kakashi blurted, saying the first distraction that came to mind. He had not meant for it to be so painfully true, but Haruno-sensei was gaping anyway and allowed herself to be led off the dance floor and towards the ex-ROOT member sitting with his pretty blond bride.

"I request a portrait of me and Haruno-sensei," Kakashi said with more conviction than he felt.

"Of course," he said with a smile that Kakashi tried and failed not to stare at. "Since you're so short, I'm going to ask for Sakura-chan to sit and for you to stand next to her."

Resisting the urge to glare, Kakashi released her sleeve so he could pull up a chair and create the pose.

"This is _so_ unfair, Sakura. First, you have a nicer kimono than me. Then you get a portrait of yourself done, then one with Naruto, and now this kid."

"My name is Kakashi Hatake," he said with a snap and frown.

"I know who you are," Ino said with a roll of her eyes. "Everyone knows your father and you look like a mini clone. I'm sure you're going to be some heartbreaker one day. And by that, I mean both in love and then with gauging out people's actual hearts with that freakish lightning you most likely inherited. Urgh, I can see that spark in your dark little eye already. Sai, make sure to get that."

For some reason, Kakashi had always kind of liked the way Yamanaka talked. He wondered if that charisma during her job got in the way of torture or just made it all the worse.

"What are you doing, Sakura?"

"I'm posing with Naruto's student because he asked nicely, Sasuke-kun" she responded easily, barely moving her lips to maintain her pose.

Kakashi bristled as the Uchiha came closer. Two pairs of dark eyes met, and the younger refused to back down. Kakashi had been patient; the tomato-less man could wait. Yet the Uchiha merely crossed his arms before looking down at the portrait in progress.

"Her hair is way more frizzy than that."

"It looks _perfect_," Kakashi adamantly said. Not that he really had anything to say about hair. Without his forehead protector, his unruly bangs hid half the area that his mask did not. All that was really visible was the tip of his nose and a lone eye.

"Someone clearly just put in his name for the 'Sakura Fan Club' president," Ino muttered, but Kakashi heard it still and refused to let it get to him. Especially when he was under such close scrutiny of getting drawn.

The dark-haired man shrugged before wandering off, and Kakashi glanced over to see that Haruno-sensei's tranquil expression had not changed at all. Kakashi did not know if that was a good or bad thing.

"Alright, now let me get my colors," Sai said as he put down the brush and ink. Kakashi itched to see what it looked like, but he could be patient.

"You didn't do colors for my other ones," Sakura said with a frown. "And all you did for the one of Naruto and I was the face of an angry monkey with a toad atop its head."

"The color contrasts between you two is too great to pass up," he said in explanation as he brought out a plate with watercolor pigments lined up.

"There you are my Crow King!"

Yamanaka-san burst into laughter as Haruno-sensei chuckled lightly; Sai was too focused on the painting to turn and see the White Fang create an entrance and continue his infamous legacy.

"Father," Kakashi greeted blankly. "You almost smell as bad as when Haruno-sensei came asking for our help this morning."

"Oh, hush you," Sakumo said with a jolly laugh before he scooted Haruno-sensei off of the chair, taking her place. He put a heavy, comforting hand on Kakashi's shoulder just like at the beginning of the wedding.

"I have a request!"

The artist did a self-suffering sigh before he put down the one of him and Sakura. Kakashi could just barely see it, and he squirmed to get away from his father's strong grip for a better view.

"It's not polite to move when you're posing. It inconveniences the artist, Kakashi," Sakumo said as his grip tightened slightly. The smile on his face was unmovable as well.

Sighing, Kakashi turned to see the Uchiha had led Haruno-sensei away by the arm. Sensing eyes on her, she turned and gave Kakashi a small wave and smile before returning back to the dance floor.

"Stop pouting. Your eyes are already so droopy looking. Do you _want_ to look like a pug puppy?"

Kakashi rested the urge to inconvenience the creepily-smiling artist who obviously had no manners with a kick to the stomach.

.

In one hand Kakashi held is father's large hand and in his other he held two scrolls. While the tattooed man seemed a little off to the youth, his drawings skills were anything but exemplary. Kakashi would be sure to get some frames as soon as he could so he could display the portraits proudly.

"Did you have a nice wedding, my son?" Sakumo asked as his grip tightened momentarily.

"I did," Kakashi answered with a smile that his father could easily discern through the mask.

* * *

><p>Posted: 10.18.2014<p> 


	4. Of Roofs and Rufflings

A note: So the lovely _yolanee_ made fanart for this story! It features the Terrible Three, and it's amazing. Remove the spaces and check it out: yolanee . tumblr . c-o-m (remove the -) / post/ 100610810334 / how-do-jounin-vests-work-how-do-kimonos-work

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Four: Of Roofs and Rufflings<span>

.

Kakashi was not doing this to spite that Sasuke person or whatever. Of course not. People said he was very mature for his age for a reason.

It was just that Kakashi wanted to finally try and make Rin's tomato soup. She had told him the recipe ages ago but Kakashi had never gotten around to it, and what better time than the present? Even with this relatively nice peace, it was always unsure if shinobi would come back from missions or not. And unfortunately Kakashi had used up all the tomatoes from the Hatake garden in their dinner last night.

So really, Kakashi did not have any other realistic option. He did not have time to go searching for new tomatoes, because he was not someone who just had free time to spare. He was a dedicated, always striving for better, busy genius shinobi. Who had needed immediate, convenient tomatoes to make tomato soup with. Hopefully it would not summon Obito in the process, like an idiot moth to a flame, but Kakashi was sure he would be tied up (literally and metaphorically) for at least a little bit.

"These tomatoes look eerily similar to those ones Sasuke had. Smell _exactly_ the same, really," Sakumo commented as he entered the kitchen, scratching at his hair that was loose from its customary ponytail.

"Hn," Kakashi hummed noncommittally as he continued chopping up the tomatoes a little more viciously then needed. Which of course caused a squirt of the acidic juice to hit Kakashi squarely in his one visible eye. Really, it was a little disarming that advanced shinobi could not get close enough to trim his hair, but a tomato could easily make Kakashi temporarily blind.

Maybe the Uchiha had cursed these. Apparently their clan was amazingly stubborn about grudges.

Sakumo snorted before heading outside, probably to water or laze about like usual, but not before saying: "Alright, my little crop stealer. I can't help but feel proud that you infiltrated the Uchiha compound and stole something from Sasuke of all people. You know he can summon snakes bigger than the monument cliff face? Oh, Sakura-chan is going to _cry_ at your funeral..."

Kakashi rubbed at his eye to dispel the tomato juice, like he was the one already crying.

"Even if the coloring is similar, make sure not to get any of your blood in the soup," Sakumo added cheerily before Kakashi heard the sliding door to the backyard slide shut.

Knowing his father would not see or sense it, Kakashi allowed himself the luxury of rolling his eyes. That was exactly why he had stopped off at Obito's house and lied on his bed for a good five minutes to mask his own scent and pick up the Uchiha's. The goggles Kakashi also left at the crime scene were sure to be sufficient for a fake lead in case the scent did not hold, or Sasuke was too blinded by rage to pick up the subtle marker.

Sometimes it really paid off to have a best friend.

.

Kakashi attacked mercilessly, slashing the body in half right below the ribcage where there would be less resistance of bone. He heard the dissipating 'pop,' and suddenly the blonde persona was just an evaporating puff of smoke.

"No hesitation to be seen. What if that had actually been me?" Naruto-sensei called out, a frown on his whiskered face as he emerged from the shade of a nearby tree. Maybe he was finally done napping and he would legitimately teach Kakashi something for once.

"Sakrua-sensei can do _anything._ I'm sure she could help," Rin said in reverance, pausing in her scuffle with the clone given to her. It gave the fake Naruto-sensei the opportunity to swarm her up in his arms, laughing maniacally as she kicked at the air and grunted in vain.

"I will save you, Rin-chan!" Obito cried valiantly, but was cut off a moment later as the clone assigned to the young Uchiha tripped him. The duplicate blonde chuckled as Obito rubbed dirt off his nose and turned to him with a glare before lunging back.

Kakashi watched his two teammates attempt to better the clones before sighing and crossing his arms. Leave it to Rin to bring up Haruno-sensei just when he had finally managed to focus on something else. He was tempted to ask for another clone, but that fight had been pathetic at best and it would just make him more bored and frustrated.

"You're entirely right, Rin-chan. A body severed in two would be no problem for her," Naruto-sensei said as he approached to stand beside Kakashi. The shorter of the two resisted the urge to furrow his brow as he had to look _way_ up to see the smile on the tanned, whiskered face.

Kakashi nodded once, trying to look disinterested, but hoping that Naruto-sensei would continue with his babbling habit. The boy was not disappointed as barely a second passed before the blonde was rattling off about his close friend.

"Did I ever tell you guys about how her arms were torn off in a torture session when she was captured? But still Sakura-chan somehow not only managed to avoid bleeding out, but then summoned a slug. Even though the arms had nearly been unsalvageable by their deterioration, the two managed to reattach them and she broke out. Way cool, huh?"

Kakashi nearly dropped his tantō in shock. True, it showed just how amazing Haruno-sensei was, but how did Naruto-sensei keep dropping these horrific stories daily as if they did not mean anything? Kakashi knew they were barely twelve when the war started, and were sent out to the front when they were barely fourteen. Maybe the man had become desensitized after everything he had gone through and seen, as shinobi living back then had been full of guts and gore.

Or maybe it was a clashing of generations born at different times. Kakashi wondered what he would have been like had be been a child of war, like The Terrible Three, and not a child of peace like he was. Kakashi did not humor himself in to thinking he could have made the decisive influence needed to end a time of war, like Naruto-sensei and his best friends had done. Or, mostly Naruto-sensei with his boisterous, charismatic personality. Apparently everyone loved him, and it had little to do with his famous parents.

It was a little surprising that Naruto-sensei was instead teaching them instead of preparing to be Hokage, as he was clearly the next option to replace his father. It would probably be only a couple more years before the switch-over, and yet another blonde Hokage would reign.

"Anyways, before you get sick from more stories- yes, I saw how you flinched you tiny tadpole - don't worry about injuring yourself. Sakrua-chan would surely be able to heal you," Naruto said cheerily, smile widening.

Kakashi did indeed feel a little more at ease, knowing Obito would not be seriously injured when his idiocy caught up with him and he accidentally cut off a toe. Or an entire leg. Rin was a prominent medic-nin so far, but apparently reattaching nerves were tricky.

"Especially since you're apparently Sakura-chan's favorite, and way better than the boys she has," Naruto-sensei muttered offhandedly. The blonde made his voice high-pitched and nasally as he said: "Oh, Naruto you're so lucky your team is so easy to deal with. Kakashi-kun has everyone so in order you don't have to worry about anything. I have to resort to intimidation factors at least _twice_ a day with my team."

"What?" Kakashi asked, head snapping up to look at the disinterested face as Naruto adjusted his forehead protector.

Eyebrows raising at his obvious zeal, Naruto-sensei looked down at Kakashi before smiling wickedly. The silver-haired boy stiffened, because he had always been so careful about keeping his feeling secret from all but his father. And if Naruto-sensei got even a whiff of his care for one of his best-friends, Kakashi was sure mountains of trouble would crumble down. Just because it was Kakashi's first love did not mean he wanted it advertised, nor destructed out of jest and entertainment for his teacher.

"Kakashi-chan," Naruto-sensei sang as he crouched down at Kakashi's level, eyes narrowed with clear interest. "You wouldn't happen-"

Naruto was cut off as a stone flickered in to view, moving fast with a clear target. The blonde had just enough time to see it in his peripheral before getting knocked to the ground with a yip like that of a fox. He dropped like a tree branch in a storm, limbs sprawled and not looking like the dignified twenty-five year old jonin he truly was. Even his flac jacket had ridden up, and Kakashi's interest was perked as he saw some black markings radiating out from his belly-button. It looked like a seal, but it was impossible to tell from the small partial that was visible.

The two clones stopped their fights with Rin and Obito as well, favoring first to laugh at their maker before clapping at the direction of Haruno-sensei as she walked by with her three boys dutifully following.

"It's not polite to tease," the pink haired beauty sang as they walked on. Today she wore her hair in a long french braid down her back. Its end bumped against the base of her spine as she walked, her head held high.

Kakashi felt his heart nearly explode as she winked at him. Or at least, Kakashi thought she winked at him. But Haruno-sensei could just be winking at his forehead protector, or maybe the grass over his shoulder. Or maybe his exemplary eyesight was just leaving him. Kakashi hoped not, as he took pride in his quick eyes he had apparently inherited from his mother.

"I keep forgetting we have neighboring training grounds and Sakura-chan has scary hearing. Like my Mom's, but _way_ worse," Naruto-sensei whispered fervently as he sat up. Kakashi smirked as now Naruto-sensei was the one who had to look up to him. Also the growing red on his cheek was entertaining, and sure to be a multi-colored bruise in a few hours. But then again, Kakashi had noticed how Naruto-sensei healed at an inhuman, alarming speed.

Kakashi's future Hokage yipped again and managed to avoid another pebble projected at him. Unfortunately for him, but amusing for Kakashi, Naruto-sensei did not avoid the boulder right behind it.

.

Kakashi was absolutely _not_ searching out Haruno-sensei. He just had not found the roof that he thought was the best. With the exact right combination of comfort, sun, and people watching and- oh. There was the perfect roof and how _convenient_ there was someone already there.

"Good afternoon, Kakashi-kun. Tell me, how is Naruto healing up?"

"His black eye turned yellow already. It clashes perfectly with his hair."

Kakashi smiled and did not even bother turning away as Haruno-sensei laughed and shook her head. It made a few strands of hair from her high-bun spring loose. Kakashi should feel back about unabasedly staring at her, but this was the first time he had seen her today. Yesterday it had only been from afar at the training grounds, as Naruto-sensei had dragged them away before Kakashi could go over and greet her.

"Rin told me that you're beginning to teach about poison," Kakashi said, for once being the one to start a conversation.

As the pink-haired medic began a stream of rhetoric that Kakashi barely understood half of, he sat and watched. When Kakashi said he wanted to find a roof to people watch, he really only had one person in mind.

Watching Haruno-sensei gush about her passions was even better than those weird new boxes of color and noise. Although his father seemed positively fascinated by the television set. He had blown an entire A-rank mission pay on one. Maybe if they had a program about the hospital, staring Haruno-sensei as the main herioine lead, saving people from the brink of death without a second to spare, Kakashi would be similarly entranced.

Kakashi was jolted out of his daydreaming as he noticed she was looking at him with a quizzical, clearly amused expression on her smirking face.

"What?" Kakashi blurted out like the genius he was. He was thrown back to Yamanaka-san's wedding a few weeks back, when she had similarly distracted him enough that Kakashi forgot to actually listen to what was coming out of those pretty pink lips that matched her hair, instead of just staring at them.

"I asked: how's training going? I see Rin weekly, but Obito not so much. Last time I saw him he was getting dragged down the street by Sasuke-kun."

"Ah, right- that," Kakashi said with a secretive smirk. Who knew Sasuke would be simple-minded enough to fall for such obviously planted evidence and a half-hearted scent trial.

"You know something about that. Your mask may be a good deterrent, but I could see that smirk from Suna," Haruno-sensei said with narrowed green eyes that had Kakashi wanting to shrink away. Now that he thought about it – had she not been on the interrogation squad with Yamanaka-san for a while before becoming a full-time medic? And Naruto-sensei did say that she used intimidation factors to get her team to behave. And surely she would have picked up some of those tricks from the tortures she had endured.

Still, in the face of her threatening ability, Kakashi shrugged. But Haruno-sensei was not going to let this go, if the frown on her face was anything to go by. And Kakashi liked it a lot better when he had his arms attached to his body, so he could actually hold the book he wanted to read.

"I might have stolen his tomatoes," Kakashi blurted out quickly, ducking his head as he waited for her criticism.

"You, a twelve year old, stole from Sasuke-kun."

"Is that so hard to believe?" Kakashi asked gloomily, barely witholding a snap about how soon he would be turning thirteen. Why was it that people did not acknowledge him for the skilled warrior he was already? Maybe an individual really did need to go through a war to be respected around here.

Kakashi watched Haruno-sensei blink a few times before shaking her head and looking back down to the streets. Kakashi followed her eyesight, and resisted the urge to hide as he saw Naruto's twin siblings bound down the street. The demure youngest Kazuki (and only realtively normal one in the family in Kakashi's opinion) followed behind at his own leisurely pace. Briefly Kakashi wondered how Kushina-san and her garden were doing, as well as the twins in her belly. Kakashi wondered if she would be giving birth soon, and that maybe he should offer to cook her dinner sometime.

"You are weirder than anyone I've ever known, I think."

Kakashi frowned, thinking it a jab, and then turned to see her facing him with a grin. He remembered his own phrase when she had first come across him roof-hopping, nearly identical to hers right now, and lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. It was a vague, indirect compliment at best, but Kakashi would take it.

"Something also odd: you never address me like everyone else. I bet you even think of me as 'Haruno-sensei' in your head. Nothing but the utmost of formality for you."

Kakashi remained quite, shocked she had seen so easily through him. True, he was a stickler for rules, but everyone else did call her familiarly by the Sakura-sensei. Still, it seemed wrong to not show the utmost respect for her. After all, Kakashi was really just a promising youth while she was a seasoned war veteran.

It was hard to believe she was already twenty-six, but then maybe Tsunade-san had taught her that age-reversal jutsu. She really did not look a day over twenty, and it showed especially when she was with Naruto-sensei and that Uchiha. Both of them seemed wise and weathered (despite Naruto-sensei's dumb smile), and their towering heights were impressive. In contrast, Haruno-sensei was light and youthful, seemingly not a scar on her body. It probably really paid off to be a medic sometimes.

"I give you permission to call me Sakura-sensei. Like everyone else, who didn't even need a verbal confirmation," she said with a kind smile, bringing Kakashi back to the present.

Kakashi blinked once before turning away, scanning the busy street below them to try and recognize someone new. He needed a distraction.

"Come on, Kakashi-kun, just say it. You make me feel ancient when you call me by my last name. That or one of my patients at the hospital."

Kakashi watched as Hana walked along with her two ninken, one perched on each of her shoulders as their tails wagged behind, making it seem like she had two swinging pony-tails. He could only see Shino-sensei's intricate glasses or his face from this angle, and only the back of his hood. In a way, it was kind how he avoided the sun to protect his bugs from overheating.

"Fine, Hatake-kun," Haruno-sensei said with a snort.

Kakashi turned away from the team to watch as she leaned back on her hands. Her smile was back, and it looked realistic, but Kakashi still felt a spike of guilt for making her seem untoward.

"If it's what you desire, Sakura-sensei," Kakashi said lowly. He wrapped his arms around his knees, willing himself to hide away between them as he lowered his head. Kakashi probably looked like a surly clam right now, but he could care less.

Kakashi hated feeling this embarrassed around her all the time. Still, it felt nice to allow himself to say her first name finally. It felt like a big step closer to her, despite how he had forced the distance from his way of addressing her himself.

When Kakashi peaked over his knees to see her wide grin, Kakashi thought it worth it.

They elapsed in to a comforting silence, although Kakashi wished Sakura-sensei would have brought a journal to read aloud. Kakashi still did not believe a medic's road was one for him, but it was still fascinating to watch her so engrossed in her element. While her taijutsu was second to none (although Lee-sensei came in a very close second), and her genjutsus were apparently flawless, Kakashi though that her skills to heal were what made her truly amazing.

Recently Kakashi had gone back to the village's impressive library and re-read everything he could find about her. Previously he had disregarded her in favor of Naruto-sensei and Sasuke, because they made the biggest shows with their raw power and talent. But as he read the accounts and histories again, Kakashi saw that Sakura-sensei made the bigger, albeit quieter, impacts for the war. She was the one who healed the masses, allowing their forces and armies to recuperate and cut down on loses. It was Sakura-sensei who had saved her two best friend's lives more times to count, bringing them back from their own foolishness to try again.

And here Kakashi was, sitting on a roof on an aimless afternoon with her, watching people walk by in their daily lives. Still, as the minutes ticked by, he found that he enjoyed her silent company. Usually there was so much Kakashi wanted to say to her (not that he ever would, his ramblings were of the past, uncool Kakashi), but just sitting and having a comfortable silence was just as rewarding.

Kakashi also thought of what his Father had said: he really was in trouble. But for now, Kakashi would walk in to this problem willingly.

"Did you _really_ steal Sasuke-kun's tomatos?" Sakura-sensei suddenly asked out.

"I still have some soup leftover if you want to try it."

.

Kakashi found Sakura-sensei on another rooftop some days later. Unlike last time, she had medical journals stacked around her on the tiled roof. Kakashi silently landed and turned to her with a slight smile hidden behind his mask, but it instantly fell away in a gape as he took in her image.

Because while Kakashi had not thought it possible, there she was: impossibly cuter than before.

"Do you think they look alright?" Sakura-sensei asked as she ruffled the new fringe of her bright hair that sat along her forehead. "Ino did them for me, and they said they look alright, but I'm not sure. They obstruct my seals a little, and I'm pretty egotistical about those. Everyone else before me only had one, you know?"

"And there were only two before you," Kakashi remembered to mention, turning away and trying to get his bearings back. He started counting up numbers by three, and Kakashi slowly felt his sanity returning to him. Why did people go searching for this agony again? Kakashi would have been perfectly content just reading about romances all his life.

"Well?"

Kakahsi turned to her, brows furrowing at her insistent tone.

"How does my hair look?" she asked again.

"I-I think your hair looks... good," Kakashi decided to say, thinking that was a safe response. But then of course he had to add: "Especially when you wear it down like this."

"Naruto tells me that, too, but somehow it seems more genuine coming from you," Sakura-sensei said with her constant little smile. "Although I'm pretty sure I can take Naruto's words now without worrying about any ulterior motives, since he's going to marry Hinata soon."

"Hinata-sensei is marrying Naruto-sensei?" Kakashi asked in shock. But the dark haired Academy teacher was so kind and considerate. She was the only one who had noticed when Kakashi was getting bullied about his mask, and had told Ibiki to leave him alone. Kakashi still held a grudge against the gray-haired boy because of it, and similarly still held respect for Hinata-sensei's perceptive eyes.

"Well, he hasn't actually proposed just _yet_, but everyone is just counting down the days. Tsunde-shishou actually has a betting pool if you're interested in joining," Sakura said with a smirk.

Kakashi shook his head, as that temptation had never hooked him. He was usually good at that, letting things go by without getting attached to them. But here he was, having taken an hour to find Sakura-sensei.

"Well, hopefully that dope does it soon, or else I'm losing more than just a paycheck, but my pride as well," Sakura said with a sigh as she leaned back on her elbows. The wind was making her hair sway, and Kakashi looked away before he did something lame like drool.

Instead Kakashi busied himself with adjusting his long scarf, wrapping it more securely to ward off the chill and hide his blush. But it was hard to act cool when Sakura-sensei had just announced that for at least in one thing, she favored Kakashi over her close friend.

"Also, the soup was fantastic. Sasuke thought so too, although he did season it with quite a few salty tears."

Kakashi felt his mouth pinch down in a frown. He had given the soup to Sakura-sensei for a reason, not to that depressing Uchiha. He had stolen the tomatoes from him, but Sakura-sensei had essentially just given it back to him. Dammit, Kakashi would have to find a new way to annoy the man.

He would also have to take some time aside from his schedule to determine just what type of relationship the Uchiha had with Kakashi's darling medic.

"He looked so pathetic I nearly cracked and told him who really took his tomatoes," Sakura-sensei continued to say, "Obito was apparently truthful when he said it had not been him."

Glancing up from over his scarf, Kakashi studied Sakura-sensei for any signs that her joke held any truth to it. Kakashi knew his heart would be hurting (along with his beat-up body from the angry Uchiha) if she turned him in. Yes, it was for one of her best friends, but Kakashi could be greedy.

"Jeez, no need to pout, I'm _kidding_. It's like I told you the mask store was all out of black and only had them in a pink polka-dots pattern," Sakura-sensei said with a bright chuckle.

"That's comforting to hear," Kakashi admitted honestly, but then added to maintain his cool persona: "This is my last mask and I would hate to spoil my black-themed outfit."

.

Kakashi had been minding his own business and doing some independent, personal training when Naruto and his twin siblings of similar blonde hair come to bother him. Kakashi had practically heard them coming closer with their boisterous laughter from miles away, and had hoped in vein that they would not come to say hello.

Hiraku and Hoshiko were eerily similar to Naruto in their brash behavior, and Kakashi would much rather have the studious Ai or quiet Kazuki to deal with rather than these three bundles of energy. Although, Kakashi was building up quite a tolerance for stupidity with having to deal with Naruto-sensei and Obito's antics, and also how Rin seemed insistent that she maintain her feelings for Kakashi.

"Kakashi-_chaaan_!"

Sighing, Kakashi viciously cut through his last clone before turning to greet the inevitable.

"Naruto-sensei," Kakashi said with a polite nod, but critically eyed the younger waited for them to call him out on his rude behavior, so Kakashi could properly shut them down and say to respect their elders. But instead their two sets of blue and violet eyes (seemingly the only thing different in them past their sex) were focused on Kakashi's glowing tanto in amazement.

Worried they were going to start steamrolling him over with questions, Kakashi quickly put away his father's heirloom.

"These two are learning about summons today," Naruto said, answering a question that Kakashi had not even asked. "It's their turn to sign the contract for the family's toads."

"Yeah, really exciting, this," Hiraku said with a frown on her face.

"Can't wait for all the worts," Hoshiko said with a matching grimace.

Naruto gave them glares before exploding: "This is a tradition that Jiraiya-sensei has allowed Dad and I, and I decide to pass it on to you two, and this is the thanks I get?"

"Yeah, only because Ai was too smart to go along with it," Hiraku muttered softly for probably only Hoshiko to hear, but Kakashi picked it up all the same. He resisted asking what made them, if they had fallen for Naruto-sensei's antics.

"Whatever," Naruto said with a snort, before turning away. "Come on you two, let's leave Kakashi-chan to play with his glowing sword."

The twins gave Kakashi a self-suffering look and sigh before they were trailing after their older brother, their long blond hair swaying in time with their strides.

"Wait," Kakashi found himself saying.

The three looked back, but only Naruto-sensei had any type of expression on. And it was quite an expression, what with the wide eyes and slack jaw. Kakashi supposed he did not address Naruto-sensei all that much, but once again the blonde was exaggerating the situation.

"I want to learn about summons," Kakashi declared as he closed the short distance between them in a quick trot.

Truthfully Kakashi had been interested in summons for a long time, ever since his father had mentioned Yuki for the first time. But Kakashi had been hesitant about bringing the subject up, as he knew it was still a sore subject for his single parent. Kakashi had been researching it, but there was nothing like field experience. Apparently toads were one of the summons of old, and while Kakashi did not want to steal them away from the twins, he was avid to watch the process.

Naruto managed to gather his wits as his crystal blue eyes narrowed at a hopeful looking Kaksahi.

"Obito-chan and Rin-chan will think I'm playing favorites with you," Naruto declared.

"You haven't managed to teach me anything new, and here's your chance," Kakashi countered with.

The twins chuckled at that, and Naruto stood up tall and loomed over the shorter silver haired boy as he declared: "I taught you how to walk on water!"

"I knew how to do that at four," Kakashi drawled.

Naruto remained unsure, if the way his smile was still refusing to show was anything to go by. Deciding that it would be best not to insult Naruto in to complying, or bribe him, Kakashi went for his last resort. He had only ever used this technique on his father, but it worked everytime. It was his last line of defense to get what he wanted, and Kakashi really did want to learn more about the summon process.

"Ok, it's pretty freaky when you do the puppy-dog eyes, Kakashi-chan," Naruto said as his grimace deepened. "I didn't realize just how droopy your eyes are until now."

Kakashi looked down at his sandaled toes, utterly confused. It had always worked with his father, but then Kakashi wanted to slap himself. Of course it worked on his father, _everything_ worked on that man whose biggest flaw was his soft heart.

"But I can tell that you're serious," Naruto said with a sigh. "So come on, follow along."

.

Kakashi's enthusiasm over being included was quickly lessoned when at first all that happened was putting a bloody fingerprint to a scroll. And then the twins tried, and failed, at summoning a toad of their own for nearly an hour straight. So much for the amazing Uzumaki genes Naruto-sensei was always boasting about.

Confused, Naruto attempted it, and Kakashi gaped at a positively gigantic frog that took up two training areas appeared. He asked in a loud, demanding voice why Naruto had summoned him, and the blonde eagerly explained that since Hiraku and Hoshiko were ten now, it was their turn to sign the contract.

"Hm, more of Minato's kids, huh?" Gamabunta, if Kakashi had heard Naruto introduce correctly, muttered.

Kakashi stood back and watched as the toad appraised the twins, whose opinions had obviously changed from annoyance to glee at the size of the summon. Kakashi could already see the wheels of their minds turning, imagining just how big of a trump card they could have in a battle with summons like him.

"And who is this one?" the toad asked, and Kaksashi tensed under the gaze of the frog.

"Oh, that's one of my students," Naruto-sensei chirped happily.

"You're a teacher now, eh?" the frog asked before rearing his head back and laughing. His throat puffed out in glee, and Kakashi wondered if he should be worried. "Is he here to sign the contract as well?"

"No," Kakashi declared, deciding that this giant creature appreciated honesty like everyone else. "But I am curious as to how I could find my own summons."

"Hm," the toad hummed, the eye that had a scar running perpendicular to it focusing on Kakashi. He could actually see his full body reflection in the toad's golden eye, his silver head looking bigger than it was in actuality from the warped surface. Or maybe Kakashi really did need to get a haircut soon. He really was not interested in following his father with the ponytail.

"You got anything for him, Bunta?" Naruto asked.

"There are some loose contracts drifting around lately, remnants from the war, but summons are very picky, kid."

"I understand," Kakashi said with a grave nod.

Kakashi remembered the story his father had told about how it had taken their ancestors decades to convince the wolves to join the Hatakes. They had to bring them sacrifices of animals and enemies alike to prove their merit before the fanged beasts accepted their worth and aligned with them.

Personally, Kakashi did not want what sounded like such high-maintenance summons. Still, the loyalty the wolves showed perked Kakashi's interest.

"Best advice I can give you is to search for a base summoning jutsu and see what you get," Gamabunta voiced.

"Thank you," Kakashi said with a stiff bow.

The frog left Kaksahi alone to think, but the boy remained to listen to Gamabunta lecture the twins. He started explaining to them about all the different toad types, and how not to get them mixed up unless they wanted their contract revoked. He continued on to explain the basis of what they could expect if they wanted to pursue senjutsu knowledge.

Although this information was not viable to him, Kakashi listened and learned. He thought back to that Uchiha, who summoned snakes. He heard tales of what Sakura-sensei had summoned, but the best descriptions of it had just been about how massive the size of the creature was, and how it had an uncanny ability to heal even those most grievously injured.

Before Kakashi had much time to wonder about what great beast Sakura-sensei had an affinity with, Gamabunta was giving a rough parting before dissipating. The only evidence he had ever been here were the imprints of his massive webbed feet in the grass and a modest pile of ash from his pipe.

"So, still think toad summons are lame?" Naruto asked with a smirk to his younger brother and sister.

They shook their heads obediently, their eyes still wide and mouths oddly shut. Naruto-sensei smirked in victory, whiskers stretching from the feral expression, before he was pulling them up. Apparently it was their turn to cook dinner, and they would not be late this time.

"Wait," Kakashi said for the second time, and this time Naruto only turned to him with exasperation. "I need to talk to you about... something."

Naruto's eyebrows went high, disappearing behind his forehead protector, before he waved Hiraku and Hoshiko ahead of him.

"You're being weird today," Naruto said with a frown and a curious tilt of his head. His tanned forearms contrasted against the green of his vest as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Kakashi almost felt bad for meddling in something that he had no right to, but this was for Sakura-sensei.

"You need to propose to Hinata-sensei by this week's end."

Naruto-sensei's face paled and his eyes widened, like he was looking at a ghost instead of the silver haired boy before him.

"How- what- Why did that sound like a threat?" Naruto blubbered to say.

Kakashi sighed, and thought over once again how Hinata-sensei deserved so much better. Despite this personal belief, Kakashi had watched her interactions with Naruto these past few days. He saw how she floundered and blushed around him, and practically melted in to a pile of goop when the blonde kissed her. Kakashi had realized she acted just like Kakashi did with Sakura-sense, and even if Kakashi's love may never be reciprocated, he wanted Hinata-sensei's first love to come to fruition.

So really, despite how Kakashi was indeed doing a moral wrong by stepping in to someone's personal lives without invitation, he was also doing two morally good things: making his two favorite teachers happy. The positives outweighed the negatives, and that had to account for something.

"It doesn't have to be if you listen to me," Kakashi said in parting.

.

Sakura-sensei won the betting pool.

She bragged about it for weeks leading up to the union between her two close friends, saying that unlike so many parallels with her and her blonde mentor, this was something Sakura excelled in all her own. Tsunade-san, in return, seemed almost angry enough to regret stepping down from Hokage, so she could officially banish her student for all time. Regardless of Tsunade-san's lowered political standing, she still looked ready to punt Sakura-sensei to the Land of Snow.

Thankfully Naruto-sensei did not find out about the bets, as he would have easily made the connection between Kakashi's odd phrase about how he had an exact expiration date for proposing to his girlfriend. Kakashi was glad over it, as it did not mean the boy had to hurt his teacher and make him greet Hinata-sensei at the alter on crutches.

While Kakashi did not get to have another portrait with Sakura-sensei, she still visited the Hatake household (this time a week in advance, and not ten minutes before the wedding) to shyly ask if she could borrow the crane patterned kimono again. Yamanaka-san came along as well, and decided on the snow-village kimono, promising to bring it back when she saw how seriously Kakashi watched her. Kakashi himself put on the fancy mon-tsuki again, and pretended not to see how his father was tearing up in happiness from the sight. Or maybe they were tears of mirth, as the clothing was still too long for Kakashi, causing him to nearly trip as he exited their house for the Hyūga compound.

Unlike with the last wedding, Obito and Rin were invited along. The young Uchiha laughed at Kakashi in his outfit, but Kakashi thought Obito looked more ridiculous as he wore his usual clothing and goggles. Rin voiced Kakashi's thoughts, herself in a pretty lilac kimono, and Obito instantly deflated before sprinting back to his compound. Kakashi was sure his best friend was thankful that the two clans lived so close together, as Obito returned in a simple black kimono with his clan's emblem on his back minutes later.

While the wedding had been organized in barely a month, it was a huge event. Lots of foreign visitors, sake, cake, and girls who once again eyed Kakahsi shyly in hopes of him asking for their hands. He did feel a tad bad for rejecting Rin, but Obito came and swooped her away much to Kakashi's relief. He did not want to hurt his friend's feels, but Kakashi had his gray eyes set on only one dance partner.

Because most importantly of all, Kakashi got to have four dances with Sakura-sensei instead of only one.

* * *

><p>Posted: 11.14.2014<p> 


	5. Of Sand and Scorn

Chapter Five: Of Sand and Scorn

.

"This is _so exciting_," Rin said as she hopped in place, her bob-styled hair framming her grinning face jostling about from her energetic bounces. Kakashi felt a similar rush of excitement, but decided not to express it and instead internalize it in silence.

"It's going to be so _hot_," Obito whined as he fiddled with his goggles. He had finally gotten them back from Sasuke. The snake-summoner was pressured by their clan elders to return them along with Obito's sanity with the youth's promise of finally leaving Sasuke's garden alone. Kakashi would have to find himself a new scapegoat, and that might be a tad difficult as no one really hated the Uchiha clan much. They could be withdrawn at times, and overbearing in their long history over other clans, but for the most part they did not go out of their way to murder or even annoy people. It was most inconvenient in this case.

Hearing a group of footsteps, Kakashi frowned as there were four more sets than there should have been. Turning, he resisted the urge to growl at the sight of that Uchiha and his pale-looking team. Sakura-sensei and her team followed behind, the perpetual scowl on Ibiki's face strong considering it was this early in the morning.

Kakashi had not been excited about having an assignment with Ibiki, especially after the boy got so depressed after Yamanaka-san's wedding. Although Kakashi had overall enjoyed the day (the two paintings were framed now and hung in the living room next to their family one when Kakashi had turned one) he wondered if it was worth the sulking grey-haired boy being angrier at everyone than usual. He was a sadist – Kakashi just _knew_ it, the past bullying being more than enough evidence – and he got Sakura-sensei. As if three shinobi wars were not enough to show how unfair this world was.

"Change of plans, everyone," Kakashi's pink-haired angel who could kill with one digit of her pinky-toe said. "Hokage-sama has decided to add an extra team for protection."

Frowning, Kakashi wondered what would be so important that they needed to reunite the Terrible Three? Yeah, they were exchanging important, experimental medical supplies and studies, but they had been at peace with the Land of Wind since the end of the war. They were now considered their closest and strongest ally. It was obvious to all that the redheaded Kazekage was close friends with Naruto-sensei.

"There have been reports of rogues," Kurenai said from aside of Sasuke, red eyes narrowed dangerously. "Asuma's team got caught up with some last week. Apparently they steal children to brainwash, train, and then sell as personal shinobi slaves."

"Well, with two three top-notch medics, I don't think it's going to be any problem," Sakura-sensei said with a wink in turn to Rin and that white-haired kid with the huge round-rimmed glasses. They both puffed up like proud parents seeing their child succeed for the first time.

"Where's the idiot?" Sasuke asked with a bored expression, yet the tick in his left eye gave him away. The three katanas at his hip clicked together as he crossed his arms under his kimono. Kakashi could still not believe he got away with such blatant disregard for uniform. Sure, his father and even Kakashi himself relaxed in clothes of a similar fashion, but not when they were going on an away mission with a kidnapping threat.

"He can catch up," Obito said with a sly grin Kakashi's way, which Kakashi only shrugged at.

"Well, I'm sure glad I didn't get you heartless heathens as my students, huh Sasuke-kun?"

The man hummed lightly, and Kakashi had thought it impossible to not smile after being addressed by Sakura-sensei, but there it was. Not only had he unlocked the supposedly most secret Sharingan level, he had defied nature's demands to bow to the woman's charms.

"If you glare any harder at my sensei, I may have to challenge you," Anko said as she walked by Kakashi, pulling on his crossed straps on his chest before letting them go in a snap. "But I'd be _more_ than happy to take you on."

Kakashi frowned after her retreating presence but forgot all about it as Obito nearly body-checked him in to the river to get to Rin, who was walking next to her hero and that Kabuto kid already. Sighing, Kakashi trailed behind everyone and resisted the urge to scoff at Ibiki and the other two.

.

"Bet you wish you didn't wear a mask and wear all black now, _huh_ Kakashi-kun?"

The youth addressed ignored Anko and continued to walk through the seemingly never-ending sand. Naruto-sensei had found them barley an hour out, bag nearly exploding with instant ramen and not a single fruit or vegetable in sight. Well, Kakashi was not sharing his hard worked crops with him if he was too stupid to appreciate them. Or the water needed to actually make all those noodles.

"What- no comment? You're really no fun. I might stop talking to you soon."

And oh yes, _Anko_. The girl who had latched herself onto him since the very beginning and would be bugging the living bugs out of him if he was an Aburame. Maybe then he could scare her away with the creepy multi-legged, exoskeleton creatures. Although she was apparently obsessed with snakes so-

"Just kidding! Don't worry, I won't stop talking to you."

Kakashi sighed against the oppressive heat and company. Glancing over, he noted how Obito was tiptoeing around Sasuke. Kakashi was sure the only reason the younger Uchiha was near his elder was because Rin was staring up at Sasuke with a look Kakashi knew too well. He had been on the receiving end of it for years.

"So why don't you wear a forehead protector?" Rin asked cheerily, her hands clasped behind her back and a flush on her face that Kakashi was sure had nothing to do with the heat or the beginnings of a sunburn.

Kakashi wished her question was more detailed. Because while he wondered this, he also wondered where Sasuke's jacket was, or why he did not carry any other weapons despite his katanas. Or how the Uchiha emblem on his back was the only thing tying him to Konoha.

Sasuke, in turn, looked beside him to Sakura-sensei who was glaring at him expectantly, and then sighed. He turned back to stare down at Rin, whose dark eyes were shining in the oppressive sun.

But then Naruto-sensei was moving away from Kakashi's side to latch on to his best friend's back, and Sasuke moved his impassive expression to almost-glare at the blonde.

"Sasuke-kun is too cool to wear that type of stuff," Naruto said for the Uchiha. "He's got a reputation of Konoha's most eligible bachelor position to take over from me, ya know?"

Obito expertly hid a snort with a cough.

"Is something the matter?" Sakura-sensei asked the younger Uchiha.

"Just some, uh, sand," Obito managed to get out.

Ignoring Obito who was not the one blushing over one of the Terrible Three, Kakashi turned back to stare at Sasuke. The silver haired boy wondered just how the Uchiha was not sweating from all the layers of dark clothing. Kakashi himself was glad he at least had short-sleeves in his black wardrobe, but he was still sweltering underneath his mask. Sasuke in turn seemed as pale and cool as ever in the layered, thick material.

"Hey, you're glaring at Sasuke-sensei again!" Anko pouted before trying to trip Kakashi with a snake.

Hopping over her hissing summon, Kakashi wondered if it would be rude to just leave everyone behind and sprint to Suna.

.

"Alright, let's break and make camp."

A chorus of groans and heaven thanks erupted after Sakura-sensei's statement, and Kakashi elbowed Obito in the ribs next to him for his whining. It was his fault he had not forgone carrying an adequate amount of water to get through the day. He could already see the flaw in Naruto-sensei's plan on eating infinite ramen.

As Sasuke-sensei began assigning tasks to his team, his arms crossed underneath his kimono sleeves and still looking as flawless as ever, Kakashi turned to Naruto to see he was just lying on the sand, tongue out and panting. His thoughts went once more to Hinata, and hoped that Naruto tried at least a little harder to be cool at home.

Really, this mission kept getting better and better.

.

"Why aren't your other teammates up? It's called a joint watch for a reason," Sakura-sensei said as she approached Kakashi, who was sitting a little away from their camp. Kakashi had been keeping company with a book, but he eagerly pushed it aside for the medic's.

"Obito would distract me, Rin would distract Obito, and Rin would be distracted by me," Kakashi explained; "It's easier for me to just do it myself."

"There's a reason we make teams, oh so noble and stoic Hatake," she said with roll of her eyes.

"I'm fine by myself," Kakashi said with a slight 'humf' before deciding maybe his book would offer the best company. While he was secretly ecstatic that Sakura-sensei had come to seek him out, he was tired of people for the day. And although Kakashi would never admit it out loud, he already missed his father and his cooking already. Kakashi really should not be surprised, as this had happened on every away mission. He wondered lightly if it would ever go away.

"Turn out the light," Sakura-sensei said after a moment of silence.

Sighing, Kakashi closed his book again (taking the time to add a dog-ear crease this time) and blew out the candled lantern.

"Now tell me, what do you see?" she asked in to the blackness.

"The inescapable void of darkness that will eventually come for us all?" Kakashi asked out dryly.

"Look _up_."

Kakashi's eyes widened as he took in the huge expanse of stars; the milky way was was almost non-existent from the sheer amount of stars visible.

"During the war, we weren't allowed to have any fire or light to give away our location. So it would get boring sitting in the dark, scared and damp and tired. But then I'd just look up. And I didn't feel all that sad anymore."

Kakashi did need to see Sakura-sensei's face to know that she had some twisted expression he would not understand. In the darkness she probably allowed that small smile to finally drop. Thinking of what Kakashi would do when his father got in to these types of moods, he leaned over and patted her arm nervously.

"Naruto-sensei told us about how you got your arms ripped off," Kakashi decided to try and console with.

"They were not 'ripped off.' They were _cut_ off. We were dealing with desperate people, but _come on_."

Kakashi did not notice when his shift was supposed to end, but he sat there until the young teacher got up and said she had to watch over her own team. Because unlike Naruto-sensei who did not think Kakashi needed him, and Kakashi who did not think he needed his teammates, she was adamant about getting those lazy boys up.

But that was fine with Kakashi, because he had learned a few stories he was sure few others were privy to. And if he stayed up and watched the sunrise with her he might just forget how to function from romance overload. And also Ibiki. Urgh.

.

After another long day walking and another freezing night camping (and the second night Naruto-sensei was up along with Rin and Obito, although they all played cards and Kakashi read again) they arrived at the hidden village. Truly they could have arrived in a half day, but Sakura-sensei was stubborn about them getting some exposure training to new environments. They never knew when or where they would be stranded, and it would be good to know what to expect. Especially in such a dangerous place like the desert.

Kakashi faired fine as he knew how to ration his water, but Naruto-sensei was hopeless in how he used all his on salty ramen that just dehydrated him more. Obito was not much better, but Rin was nice enough when she took the time to stop ogling Sasuke to give the other Uchiha some of her water.

Anko did not relent in her teasing, even when Kakashi got so frustrated he skewered one of her summons with a kunai. Of course it just vomited up a new body for itself, causing Kaksahi to shiver as he had accomplished nothing other than annoying Anko. Still, it was not as annoying as just how accurately this place's name of 'Village Hidden in the Sand' was.

Because that was literally all they had to boast over. Sand, sand and oh _look_! More grainy, harsh specks of _sand_. Blowing in all directions of the wind to even get under his skin-tight mask. Kakashi's nose was suddenly always itchy. He would probably sneeze out a sand-box when he got home.

While Sakura took Kabuto and Rin with her to meet with the medics and do their trade the first few days, Kakashi and the rest of their teams wondered around the town looking at the touristy sites. Which were mostly depressing and barren. By the second day, even Naruto-sensei's enthusiasm was level with the stoic Uchiha's.

Although, it was interesting to see Naruto-sensei have such a close friendship with the Kazekage with the interesting tattoo. Maybe it was because his hair was similar to his mother and stream of siblings. It was also entertaining to see someone else as skeptical over Sasuke as the Kazekage seemed.

Even Sasuke and his team had more business here, as they went to investigate which summons were available here. Apparently Anko was just jumping to get more snakes of her own, and Sasuke was obviously unwilling to give up his just yet. Kabuto seemed eerily keen as well ("They have great venom that can be used for a lot of antidotes!" "Ok, nerd alert," Obito had whispered to Kakashi. Then Rin had punched them both and made them apologize.). Kurenai mostly tagged along and was eager to learn whatever she could ("Snakes also have great hypnosis ability, and it's something I'm interested in.").

So that abandoned the males of team Naruto for the last couple days to lie around waiting to head home, sweating uncomfortably and drinking an unhealthy amount of chilled drinks and noodles.

.

Kakashi sighed as he left the village and did not bother to look back. Unlike Obito and Rin, he had not bothered buying a memento. Although there were a lot of cacti he would have liked to take home and cultivate. Not because they had any culinary purpose, but really just because they looked pretty. The succulents here had varying bright colors, some nearly neon. For once Kakashi wished he had an interest in becoming a medic-nin just to work with them.

"That was nice, although I could do without the tan lines," Rin said with a frown. Her skin had begun to turn a warmer shade of brown to match her hair and eyes; oddly enough her purple markings had begun to turn a softer, lighter lilac. It was a contrast that even Kakashi had to admit was very pretty. Of course it meant Obito's staring got so bad he was walking in to comrades and tripping over sand dunes.

"I'm sure Kakashi-kun could agree," Anko said from behind him, and Kakashi felt the hairs at the back of his neck tingle. She made a grab for his mask, but he easily side-stepped. Taking a note from her, he stuck out a sandaled foot and tripped her. Kakashi hopped over her just like her snakes while Obito laughed. When the young Uchiha raised a hand, Kakashi eagerly high-fived him.

So begun another day of trudging through the desert that had Kakashi amassing more sand and annoyance towards Anko. In relation to her, Rin had to be the nicest girl he knew. It seemed the girl had long ago deserted him to talking to Kabuto about what they had seen while trailing Sakura-sensei at her appointments. Obito walked behind them dejectedly, face red from forgetting to wear sunblock already. Kakashi felt bad for him: first Sasuke, and now this Kabuto. While before her affection for Kakashi had been innocent, Obito would soon have to seriously start worrying.

"You know-"

But Kakashi would never be aware of whatever thing Anko was going to mention next, as the entire sand landscape seemed to buckle at once. A shake that went from his toes to rattle in his head made him blink rapidly to try and regain his focus. When Kakashi had said he would endure anything other than her badly masked innuendoes, he had not exactly meant the desert to seemingly liquify.

"Shit!" Naruto snarled as he protectively pushed a wide-eyed Obito behind him.

"I think we're being attacked by those killer creatures. Or it's our targets," Sasuke drawled as he sighed and uncrossed his arms, finally revealing them out of the trailing kimono sleeves. A hand rested on one of the katana handles, fingers curling around the worn black leather.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed at that; so this mission really was a complete farce. It made since: get a significant group of kids to lure out the men, only for them to have to face down the Terrible Three. This mission had never been about new medical plants, or exposing them to elemental training. It was putting them up on a pedestal in hopes that the bandits would bite.

"Kids, stay behind us," Sakura-sensei ordered, and the others scurried to obey. However Kakashi did not so readily obey, and instead frowned and before going up to stand next to the three. He could understand why the village had manipulated them, but he was not going to continue idly standing by.

"I can help," Kakashi said stubbornly, his father's sword in his hand glowing with promise already.

"Hatake, you get back behind us," Sakura-sensei said sharply, and Kakashi felt like he had been physically slapped by her distant address and tone. Her eyes were hard and unfeeling like pieces of jade. "That's an _order_."

Feeling betrayed, Kakashi sheathed his sword before stepping back to stand at Rin's side. She was slightly shaking, but kept her stance straight and strong. The others seemed to be doing a similar job of attempting to not be scared of how the desert was acting like an ocean in a storm.

Thinking it was ridiculous how their teachers could at least let them try and defend themselves, Kakashi's opinion slightly altered as he took in the huge sight of what looked like a great white shark. But this had a more tubular body, and the rows of teeth in the mouth moved in a counter-clockwise motion. Kakashi's mind returned back to the blender he had been jealous of the Namikazes owning and grimaced. As much as he had enjoyed blending that beetroot soup, Kakashi did not want to end up in a similar red pulp.

"Sasuke," Kakashi heard Naruto-sensei say, but it seemed the dark haired man had already bitten his thumb. Kakashi could not help but stiffen at the giant snake that appeared to be at least double the size of whatever that sand monster was. Without another word, the Uchiha went to confront the danger at the top of the head's snake with one sword drawn. It's long, flexible body had no problem weathering the rocking mounds of sand.

Feeling a little seasick, Kakashi noted that there seemed to be more shark-worms coming closer from a distance. As if seeing through his eyes, Naruto-sensei jumped from Sakura-sensei's side to stand behind the group of students now.

Kakashi felt his hands twitch at his sides, as now he felt completely boxed in from the teachers.

"Sakura-chan- how about you level the playing field?" Naruto asked over this viscous hissing of Sasuke's snake, it's long body ducking and weaving out of range from the moving rows of teeth not far off.

"My pleasure," she growled before tugging on her gloves and slamming her hands down. She must have computed the waves sequences and what to create to cancel them out, because suddenly they were standing on still sand again. And just in time for two other large creatures to erupt in to view.

"Remember," Naruto said as his stance widened in preparation, "they're just animals who are angry about us being on their territory."

"Then who are the man leaping off of them?" Kakashi asked dryly at the sight of a multiple score of men leaping down from the creature's back. How they had managed to hold on was a mystery to the silver-haired boy.

"Great," Sakura-sensei mutterd. "So these really are the kidnappers."

"Time to get an A-level paycheck when we return, ya-hoo!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly before he was heading towards them, clones popping out like the incontrollable root system of mint.

"Idiot," Sakura-sensei growled a moment later as they all watched as an electrified net was cast over the hoard of orange. The smell of ozone was thick in the air as suddenly there was just one blond stuck in the netting. The troop of men bounded over or around him, clearly not interested in his spat curses and useless struggling that only seemed to get Naruto-sensei tangled even more.

Thinking about how he could easily counter that lighting technology, Kakashi stepped forward. But Sakura-sensei had other plans and pushed him back as she herself stepped up. Her gloved hands tightened as the thirty men closed the distance between them.

"They're going to attack now. Everyone, on your toes. I'll be able to take them out, but don't do anything rash," she ordered before she was leaping closer to the men.

First Sakura-sensei extended her fist in front of her as the enemies got closer, and it took Kakashi a moment to realize she had _punched the air_ and accelerated it enough that it had knocked down three men. They dropped their weapons and grabbed their chests, no doubt crying out in confused pain over the broken ribs and exploded organs.

Next, she was leaping right in to the hoard, arms and legs never ceasing to stop moving as shuriken where thrown and blades were deflected with her own weapons.

Not wanting to, but feeling he had to, Kakashi took his eyes off of the pink-haired medic to see four men had broken off and were approaching their little group of nine. They had bags adorned with complicated seals in their hands and gleams in their eyes and- of _fuck no_ was Kakashi going to be kidnapped and sold at some twisted dark-market looking for rare bloodlines. They had their eyes on Obito the most, since he did wear his clan's emblem on his back quite brazenly.

Feeling a sinking in his stomach at the very idea of Obito not always being there, Kakashi leaped forward with his sword extended and a mighty battle cry coming out from his small body. It seemed the kidnappers had not expected a white flash, and they faltered in their steps for a moment. This allowed Kakashi to cut off a man's entire right arm in a lung. He skidded to a halt in the sand before turning, sword glowing and eyes steely with determination.

Next, before they had a change to regroup, he twisted and cut the next man directly in the chest, just like he had practiced against Naruto-sensei's clones, making the stranger fall as blood squirted like a broken faucet. The third blinked blandly at his two bleeding partners in crime before making a move to run. Kakashi was obviously not going to allow this, so he leaped forward to stop him. The man quickly turned and lashed out at Kakashi with what looked like an electrocuted whip. It wrapped around his heirloom sword, and Kakashi dropped it without a second thought.

Eyes narrowing, Kakashi dropped down onto the sand and took a moment to breathe before lashing out again, this time with his fists. If the man was going to use power, than so would he. Kakashi felt electrical currents surge through him as he did the necessary hand seals for a new lightning technique he was creating. As his hand crackled with energy and potential, Kakashi ran after the man that was still retreating.

Feeling the addrenoline and energy pumping through his hammering heart, Kakashi dropped down on the man and placed his hands on his shoulders. He felt the jerk of the body as it was shocked. He estimated that the man's heart would start failing to pump enough blood at the sudden stimulation. Predictably the man went still, twitching only from residual energy, and he dropped. The bag covered in seals meant to capture Kakashi and his comrades fluttered down to lie aside his body.

"Kakashi!" he heard Obito call out, and the boy addressed turned to see his friend was staring at him nearly slack-jawed, the other students in similar states.

Except for Sakura-sensei, who looked absolutely furious standing beside Naruto-sensei and Sasuke. The Uchiha looked utterly bored as always while Naruto had a weird little quizzical half-frown, half-smile on his face.

"I ordered you to not do anything rash," Sakura-sensei said calmly, yet clearly holding back a typhoon of anger.

"I didn't," Kakashi argued as he retrieved his sword, the handle feeling warm and safe in his hand. "My teammates were going to be attacked. I acted proactively."

"You acted _irrationally_. You specifically went looking for a fight with those men. You could have scattered them. That last one was retreating and I saw you chase _after_ him."

Feeling like he was being prosecuted, Kakashi just looked down at his sandals and decided to not say anything more.

"Sakura-chan, you're being kinda harsh on him. Kakashi-chan was just protecting everyone. And more importantly he did a good job at it. These guys were jokes to begin with but _man_ did Kakashi-chan show them," Naruto-sensei rambled in his defense. Yet even his teacher's praise did not alleviate the heavy, burning of shame in the silver-haired boys chest.

Sakura-sensei muttered something under her breath before calling Kabuto forward, asking him to assist in her healing these men so they could take them in for questioning. Apparently she had killed off all the others already.

"Thank you, Kakashi-kun," Rin said softly as she came up to him, tugging at the short-sleeve of his shirt. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Feeling like he wanted to be anywhere else but here, Kakashi turned and resumed their direction towards home. Rin silently followed at his right, and he could sense Obito was at his left.

"Don't mind what she said, you were _awesome_," Obito whispered conspiringly, "Although next time you try and upstage me you won't only have to worry about the enemies."

Kakashi sighed and began to feel a little better thanks to his friends.

.

The walk back for the rest of the day was a little rocky despite the oceans of sand, and then trees. Kakashi was too hesitant to look up at Sakura-sensei the entire way, knowing he would only see disappointment and scorn. He kept behind the line, straying just enough that they knew he did not want conversation, but close enough so that he would not break formation. Rin and Obito walked in front of him, chatting about this and that. Obito looked blissful that he was finally getting time with her away from the others and Rin seemed content enough.

Kakashi still thought he did the right thing: he had protected his comrades at all costs. It was what his father had always taught him and yeah, Anko was annoying as a chicken's crow at four in the morning, but he had not wanted harm to come to anyone.

They had specialized in lightning paralysis, and Kakashi could easily absorb and redirect that unlike the others. He had been the best option so he had thrown himself in it to avoid any harm. He had not expected outlandish praise, but it would have been nice to have at least been acknowledged for his selfless-ness. Instead he had just managed to anger Sakura-sensei.

Feeling his shoulders hunch, Kakashi knew there was a slight ulterior motive for why he had acted so quickly.

It was bad enough knowing Sasuke grabbed her attention, and Naruto-sensei more often than not. But seeing Kabuto and Rin get along so well and easily with Sakura-sensei had been like a physical stab at his pride. Yes, Kakashi had accepted long ago that he was too blatantly honest in a rude way that many avoided searching him out, but Kakashi still felt shame at not being able to understand Sakura-sensei better. Sure, they had sat on roofs together a few times, and he had a portrait of them, but it just did not feel like it was enough.

And Kakashi really did try and get to know her, to gain her attention. Yet there just always seemed to be a smile he could not decipher on her face; the distraction of always talking about trimming her hair sometime; asking after his father in a care Kakashi truly empathized with. Despite her outward carefree nature, Kakashi knew there was something behind that gorgeous face that she burrowed away. Kakashi felt he had seen the first glimpse of it in the desert, and how unaffected she seemed after literally slaughtering so many men. Yes, they were child kidnappers and enslavers, but she had not even given them a second glance as the vultures had dropped to clean up.

Naruto and Sasuke, and his father to a degree, understood it. They had gone through the war together, steeped in blood of enemies and allies alike to the degree that it did not matter anymore. Kakashi was not so ignorant enough to wish he had been there, but it still hurt to know he did not know such a huge part of Sakura-sensei's life. He had read the stories, and just the other night she had told him a few more. Yet he was still ignorant about how that had made her feel, how it had changed her and made her grow up too fast.

But who was he? Just a boy who did not fit in to his skin yet, waiting for what he would grow up to be. And that was the real problem of all this. Kakashi had felt sure of himself in that moment of action, protecting his friends. And then Sakura-sensei had reprimanded him like he had been cowardly instead.

Suddenly, Kakashi felt a wave of ugly anger at Sakura-sensei. Who was she to reprimand him for acting like that when she had recklessly gone after a squad's worth of men when there were nine able fighters next to her. Obviously she had the experience, but that did not mean Kakashi did not have the right to try and gain the same amount for himself.

So yes, Kakashi had wanted Sakura-sensei to notice him and instead he had messed everything up. And now all he had to show for it was a headache from all this heavy thinking.

.

"Naruto, Sasuke, you're coming with me to do our report to the Hokage together," Sakura-sensei spoke as they entered the gates of the village. "Eveyone else, you're dismissed. We'll take care of these losers and the boring political jargon."

Still keeping his eyes averted from her, Kakashi began to walk away stiffly. Rin called out a parting and he lifted his hand in acknowledgment, but nothing more.

"God, why are you _still_ being such a downer," Obito said from behind him, and Kakashi's shoulders threatened to meet up with his ears.

"Go away, Obitio," Kakashi warned. Yet the dark-haired boy continued trailing behind him, ignoring or maybe just ignorant to the hinted threat that Kakashi really had no motivation to follow through on. Or Maybe Obito was just walking home too, since the Uchiha compound was closer to the older area of the village Kakashi lived at. But that idea was proved faulty as Obito followed Kakashi to all the way to the front door of the Hatake household.

Resting a hand on the tarnished golden door-knob, Kakashi turned around and frowned at a still-smiling Obito.

"What? You're obviously down about Sakura-sensei and it's fun seeing you fail like I usually would," the cheery boy said in explanation, dimples deepening in a way that would be cute if Kakashi did not want to punch the Uchiha's face in.

"Father," Kakashi called as he opened the door, "we have an intruder. We're been infiltrated and there's no going back. Stash the valuables and tomatoes."

"Oh? Obito-kun has come to visit?" Sakumo asked from the porch outside. Kakashi quickly made his way over, knowing there would probably be a pot of tea and some snacks out. He hoped his father had not eaten all of the almond cookies he made before leaving.

"I just wanted to tell you about how Sakura-sensei called out Kakashi. It was great," Obito said as he followed Kakashi out of the sliding doors, not even bothering to close them after him.

"Oh?" Sakumo asked with a raised eyebrow. Kakashi ducked his head and pretended to focus intently on taking off his sandals.

"He was being all heroic and saved the group and I, but Sakura-sensei would have none of it. Kakashi was all: 'Look at me and my majestic majesty, let me spark something in your heart baby just like how I shocked these men,' but she was all: 'Oh, I see what you did there you irresponsible tyke, taking on too many men for your own good. I am anything but impressed!' And then Kakashi pouted and sulked the entire time back and Sakura-sensei refused to acknowledge she was overreacting."

"Sounds like quite a mission," Sakumo said lightly as he patted Kakashi's head. Even though it felt slightly patronizing, Kakashi still felt a sense of calm finally return.

"But I think Sakura-chan may have been more in the right," his father continued to say.

"It wasn't my first time attacking an enemy and it won't be the last," Kakashi said grimly, his frown returning at even his father siding against him.

Sakumo put his hand back atop Kakashi's head, and Kakashi resisted the urge to bristle and stomp away to his room or the training grounds. He knew he was being difficult, but he just had a lot of time to brood over it all on the way back and Kakashi _knew_ he was right.

"You didn't see Sakura-sensei's face after seeing she hadn't noticed the men you'd taken out," Obito said off-handedly. "She actually looked a little scared."

"So she doubts my ability to take out three pathetic trappers that didn't even register on her chakra-radar," Kakashi mumbled, the implied 'How is that supposed to make me feel _better_, Obito?' all too clear.

"It's always a worry for teachers to lose students before their training is done," Sakumo said with a gentle voice, his hand heavy and steady on Kakashi's head. "It's not the same as a parent burying their child, but it's similar enough."

"She didn't seem to worry over Naruto-sensei," Kakashi muttered.

"Yeah, I don't think he's ever going to get his hair under control with that constant static," Obito said around a mouthful of cookie.

"Well, Naruto is a highly trained shinobi," his father offered.

"Who got caught in a net, electrocuted, and then couldn't manage to get out because he'd tangled himself up too bad," Kakashi muttered.

"Seems like you got tangled into something much worse, hm?" Sakumo asked.

Kakashi sighed, knowing there was not any use still talking about this.

"Can I grab some tomatoes now?" Obito asked, already heading out to the garden.

"You better go help him, my Crop Caretaker. Wouldn't look good to save him, only to make the boy suffer from unripe or overripe vegetables."

"Yes, Father," Kakashi said before he got up, letting the hand fall away from his head.

.

'To the past Hokages above: please give me strength,' Kakashi thought desperately before taking a deep breath and knocking on the door before him. His gloved hand fell back to his side and tightened in to a fists of nerves.

After a minute of silence, Kakashi continued staring at the ratty wooden door, willing it to open already with his stubborn will alone. He knocked again, wondering and deciding he did not care if he was bothering the neighbors.

"I'm coming, _jeez_," he heard a irritated voice, muffled through the wood, answer from inside.

Kakashi took another deep breath and tightened his grip on the bouquet a little tighter.

"Alright who- Kakashi-kun?" Sakura-sensei asked as she appeared before him. Her pretty face stretched from anger in to something akin to shock and amazement.

It was the first time actually looking at her face and in to her eyes since their skirmish earlier today that Kakashi realized how much he had missed it. Oh, he could barely go a day without staring. This was only getting worse.

"I came to give my formal apology for my unruly behavior earlier this day. I picked these for you."

"Is that a... is that a bouquet of _kale_?"

"Both red and russian variations. It also has arugula, mizuna and swiss chard," Kakashi said, willing down his blush. He knew the arrangement was odd, but it was the only thing he could manage at such short notice. Anyways, at least this way she could actually use it rather than just letting it rot.

She sighed lightly, and Kakashi resisted the urge to smile at seeing her finally show some semblance of camaraderie again. Although it looked like a tired smile: a little strained like the unraveling braid sitting on her left shoulder.

"Would you like to come in?"

"No," Kakashi said although he wanted nothing more than to snoop around and see what her apartment looked like. "I really should be getting back home to dinner."

"Are you cooking today?"

"Yes," Kakashi answered simply, resisting the urge to ramble how he had missed cooking while away and since Obito was staying over, he wanted to show off. Kakashi's fingers twitched on the grouping of greens Sakura-sensei still had not accepted yet and his arm was beginning to tingle.

"Thank you very much for your understanding, but I owe you an apology as well. It's just... difficult for me to see you kids growing up so fast."

"Father tells me I could make jōnin already if I wanted to," Kakashi said proudly, chest puffing out a bit. He remembered how Sakura-sensei had made jōnin at thirteen herself.

"And if this was a wartime, and we were desperate for soldiers, I'm sure you would have," Sakura-sensei said a bit sadly. "That's the problem with me, Kakashi-kun. In my head, I'm still thinking in that mindset, that it's hard for me to understand it doesn't always have to be like that. So it was just hard for me to see you fighting when you're still so young. Adults should do the fighting over their own arguments and mistakes, not the children."

Kakashi felt like such an idiot suddenly. He wondered how many comrades she had watched trying to be brave only to get cut down mercilessly.

"I _am_ sorry," Kakashi said sincerely. Although the goggles-wearing fiend was a pain, Kakashi would not know what to do with himself if he lost Obito. Or sweet Rin.

Yet Sakura-sensei only shrugged and finally grabbed the bouquet from him. When it seemed that their fingers might brush, Kakashi removed his hand quickly.

"I'm glad that you shared this with me, but I'm not a kid. I can protect myself," Kakashi stated with a determined tone.

"I won't underestimate you again," Sakura-sensei said with a small smile that actually seemed genuine.

"Thank you," Kakashi found himself saying with a smile, and feeling infinitely lighter now that this was all behind them.

"Now, go on home so your father doesn't have to keep worrying about you," she said with a shooing motion of her hand. Kakashi wondered if his point that he really was not a kid had even registered to her.

Walking along the streets, Kakashi knew that he was not as close to Sakura-sensei as much as others. That he still did not understand a large part of her, but he was still determined. Feeling his fists tighten at his side, Kakashi knew that if anything, this mission taught him that he had a very long way to go.

* * *

><p><span>A temporary note<span>: Sorry for any (or more than normal) grammatical errors. I haven't proof read this since my computer is going to die any day now (I can feel it) and I wanted to get this out beforehand. Cheers!

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Posted: 11.21.2014


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